A Minute With Us

Out with the Old, in with the '2'

2012-01-02T12:28:00.000-08:00

I heard that was the theme for the New Years Eve party this year...we are just going to go with it. I'm not sure how good we are at the 'out with the old' part- things seem to accumulate here...bad habits...extra pounds...more toys. Although after only a few days with a polly pocket princess set, Katelee has lost the doll, and the other princess dolls we have as well. I asked her where it went and she told me she had been keeping an eye on all of it, but it just "tip-toed away." When someone discovers the actual Island of Misfit toys, please send ours back and tell them they aren't misfits, we just don't keep track of things very well. We had a great Christmas, with the exception of a nasty stomach bug that I tried to blame on the Training Table, until it showed up within my extended family as well. We saw Santa, made gluten free sugar cookie, (Katelee was so happy she could decorate them AND eat them! It got to be pretty messy!We saw lights and read lots of Christmas stories. The kids all saw Santa flying Christmas Eve on our way home and were anxious to fall asleep. Grant was up by 5:45, so we had plenty of time to open gifts before our 9am church. I actually love Christmas falling on a Sunday, it puts things in perspective and it always makes for a special day. Best Christmas suprise ever: (cue angelic Ahhhs) Dave shocked me and replaced our piano with this beauty. I cried the ugly choke sob when I saw it. Now my darling piano students (as seen here at their first recital...which they did amazingly, by the way) can enjoy touching every key and having a melodic sound come out. Brenna destroyed so much of our decorations that made it through the other two children, and yet I was never suprised as she would walk up to me, broken pieces in hand, and exclaim, "HO HO HO." Merry Christmas indeed. We ushered in the New Year playing games and eating junk. We had told the kids they got to stay up til midnight (not Brenna, of course, that would be misery for all involved). They were so excited, and Grant even negotiated a later time he thought would be even better-12:07. After he proposed that, we cheered our sparkling cider cups and found ourselves in 2012. I recently wrote a check for 2005, so how I am going to remember its 2012, I have no idea. While I believe all year we are trying to better our lives, a new year is a great time for me to reflect on the past and go forward with new resolve. Resolve to be better in my little circle of influence. It's a small little circle that I live in, truthfully, but it is a special one! We finished up the year tired, (this pic is not staged, Katelee just found her favorite Christmas gift-the umbrella-and naturally became her own sleeping princess) but now have the energy to make 2012 a great one!

Disney Delights

2011-12-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Warning! The following post contains an excessive amount of pictures...view at your own discretion.

We just returned from our Disney World holiday vacation. Ahh, 80 degrees, the happiest place on earth, not much could compare. Well, except for Harry Potter world, that is! All aboard the Hogwarts Express! We first visited Universal Studios so I could fulfill my dream in becoming a certified witch, some of you may argue, I accomplished that long ago. But, we are talking about Muggles and Witchcraft and Wizardy here, people. I'm not gonna lie, I got a little choked up. Hogwarts and the entire Hogsmeade village were magical. We stayed at a fancy pants hotel and thanks to my smooth talking hubby, the kids had a child suite-their own room with murals fitting of our royal descendants! The rest of the week we explored as much of Mickey's home as we could. I had heard Disney World was huge, but I had no idea the magnitude! Each park required at least one day. I loved Magic Kingdom for the traditional Disney delights, Hollywood Studios was fabulous for the shows and rides like Tower of Terror (Tower of TEAR as my kids called it, and yes Katelee and Grant rode it). I was really suprised by how much I loved Epcot. Dave actually did like this place for the food from around the world ;). Animal Kingdom had my favorite shows and a few other fun things. The older kids helped out with our navigating, and really they had the stroller more than the babykins. Dave not being a big amusement park, Disney dude, (believe me or not, this is not genuine enthusiasm being displayed below!) had a great attitude and was along for the ride. He happily accepted Brenna duty when she needed a nap and sat out for a lot of rides she couldn't go on. When Katelee was the same age Brenna is now, we took her and Grant to Disneyland. It went smoothly and she was quite easy for a nearly two year old. When we scheduled this trip, we assumed Brenna would be as cooperative. As the trip grew closer we realized Brenna is not the same type of child as Katelee. Lets just say she staged protests against her stroller, or being confined in any way. She wanted to "walk" but that would either consist of her running away or grabbing your hand and dropping to her belly so she would be dragged across the ground. She frequently used the pleading phrase, "MOMMA, MOMMA," whenever she needed a change. LUCKILY, we weren't on our own this trip. We had fabulous travel companions who assisted in our Brenna containment. My lovely sisters helped and one babysat while Dave and I went out to Cirque de Soliel...and what can I say about that?! Mind blowing, fascinating, fantastic, and yet somewhat disturbing at the same time! The kids really loved being with their cousins. These guys are awesome and entertained the little ones for hours. Love all the red heads! Grandma and Grandpa also helped a bunch too. We saw characters, magical lights and parades, animals wandering up to our tour vehicle snowfall, shows worthy of broadway, and princesses. Grant refused to be in pics of the feminine kind, until Ariel specifially requested one with him. Katelee, of course, ate it up. And Brenna, she was very taken with the princesses. She would wave, giggle as they walked by, act bashful, snuggle up to them as they approached, and even went in for a few kisses. Snow White returned the sentiments with a kiss on Brenna's forehead. Disney is so magical and I loved every minute, well nearly every minute. I could have done without the traveling (ie Brenna's flying experiences, the bus transportation...again, due to Brenna, and the night of 2 hour sleep before we came home. But, we can blame that on Delta for canceling our flight and then pushing back our flight to LA 5 1/2 hours.). We wanted to experience the holiday feeling and at first it was difficult for me. I'm not used to a shorts and sweat Christmas! But, I found the seasonal sights transporting. And, it's really the feeling of the spirit of Christmas that makes it special, not the snow, I suppose. I also believe it's taking a moment to pause and slow down and soak it in. I loved being able to do that with my family. Hopefully more Christmas posts to come. Someday I may be a blog rock star like some of you and post more often, print it into a book and call myself a blogger extraordinaire, for now, this will have to do!

Phases

2011-11-16T12:50:00.001-08:00

I have noticed since becoming a mother the phrase, "It's just a phase," is one commonly used. It may be hopeful (oh, Brenna's sleeping patterns of waking up before any sane person should is "just a phase." If that is true, it's been a LONG one, pretty much covering all the months of her existence.) While other phases are just part of the territory. We are currently beginning our journey into the Tooth Fairy phase, as Grant lost his first tooth. I would like to suggest that I get paid for my body parts that are falling apart or off all together, particularly my hair. Who knew that having babies would cause my curly locks to straighten and my hair to fall out by the handfuls. I guess I shouldn't complain, my 17 strands of hair should be sufficient to do a nice comb over someday. But, if I were to be paid not necessarily for each strand that falls out, but at least by the brush-full, I'd be racking it in. I feel like the tooth fairy was kind to bring her dollar and hope it is the right amount for boys his age! We have honestly been dreading the appearance of the permanent teeth because every dentist that has ever seen Grant has viewed the x-rays of his permanent teeth, looked at us with huge eyes, eyebrows raised to their hairline and exclaimed, "This boy is going to have REALLY big teeth." So, bring on the awkward phase...and a future of braces...and a possibility of tooth filing! Grant is also in the phase of spelling my name whenever he needs my attention. I frequently hear, "M-O-M" followed by a request. It's pretty funny. Other phases you hear kids go through and you cross your fingers that your kid won't-we've got that going on right now too. I know it's common, but the "repeat every word you say phase" that Katelee is in makes me (as Grant may express, C-R-A-Z-Y!)

Spooktacular

2011-11-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

We had a spook-a-rific haunted holiday season! We saw Witches, (The kids are all making a "scary" face here. I especially like Brenna's tongue.) We ran through a corn maze, picked out the perfect pumpkins, carved 'em up good...then I burned the seeds. We usually love to eat the roasted seeds, but this year I thought I would scorch them-not happy about that, but I suppose there's always next year...and the one after that...etc. We did eat some other nasty things though...eyeballs, mummies and worms just to name a few. We had a pretty low key costume assembly year. I seem to recall my growing up years where we just scrounged up what we or a neighbor had around the house. We were close to that this year. Grant, opted for a scary vampire, Katelee was Rapunzel. Her wig looked awesome after about 35 seconds-hair flying every which way, by the end of the night it was sideways and Katelee had to have brushed it out of her face 6 times per second. It was funny. Brenna actually had three costume choices-a hand me down Little Red Riding Hood costume that she would have nothing to do with, then the second one on my list was a U of U cheerleader. She really would have made her daddy proud with that one, but she, in true Brenna fashion wanted to pick her own and found Grant's old Lion outfit. Yes, it is a male lion, but people dress up like the opposite sex all the time, so why not dress up Brenna as not only a lion, but a boy lion. I was a flight attendant, flying the friendly skies. Trick or treating was a success (for the older two), Brenna just said "TREAT," as she knocked on a few doors. She was an excellent assistant at handing out candy. We are now trying to go through a sugar detox program.

Routine

2011-10-12T08:41:00.001-07:00

Well, since starting school, we have fallen into a pretty normal routine. I have recently reflected on how my mornings begin with a determination to have a good day, help my kids have the same result. We wake up, lovingly rubbing cute faces and small backs to rouse from slumber, ahh...seems like we are off to a good start. As the early morning progresses, I find one child (the one who has to be out the door, of course) will not get ready, after 27 times of his name being said I am LOUDLY saying brush your teeth...get dressed...come on!! And, then a quick kiss and he is off. Fast forward through the morning with the girls and wade through a few tantrums and meltdowns and dare devil climbing stunts by the toddler and we are near to pickup after school. Then, once everyone is home, the fighting begins. The other day the two older kids were in trouble because we could not determine who was telling me a lie. Because only one of their stories could be correct, I told them one of them had to be lying. Finally, after a long 20 minutes or so, Katelee says, "alright, I guess I am the one lying." I had had it that day...my goal of a gentle loving mom went out the window and I turned to....my scriptures. No, I didn't read them a sweet story of love, I read them a verse that says, "Wo unto the liar, for he shall be thrust down to hell." As soon as the words came out, I wanted to rewind. I just condemned my child to fire and brimstone...not exactly how I pictured my day. But, Katelee did of course inquire about hell and when I told her its where the devil lived, she said, "Well, I sure hope I don't lie again, cuz I don't want to live with him!" I guess lesson received-can I call that a success?!

Dinner seems like chaos, bathtime and bed are a tug of war, but books are read, kids tucked in and everyone calms down. Every night when I ask the kids their favorite part of the day, Katelee has to tell me 3 things. Without fail, one of her top three is "giving mom hugs and kisses!" As I tucked her in, turned out the light, she says, "Mom, I am loving you right now." An hour or two later, I walk in and rearrange flailing arms (Katelee's the best to check on, she talks in her sleep nearly nightly), I can't help but be grateful that I get to do the whole routine again in the morning, (minus the condemnation). Well, that's my goal at least.

Starting School Again!

2011-09-12T12:28:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year: backpacks are filled, new shoes are purchased, pencils are sharpened and for the first time at our house-a lunch is packed!!! Katelee started preschool, and she is of course loving it. It is a fun break for her in the day.

I am feeling rather sheepish about how I dealt with Grant's entrance to kindergarten, because first grade was way worse for me on the extreme emotions scale. Here Grant is on his first day. I am not sure why he looks like he is ready to take off for a track meet, but that is the pose he made before we hopped in the car. I went with him his first day to make sure he knew where to line up before the bell rang. He asked me what would happen and I had to choke out the words, " You will go through those doors when they take you away!" I held back the sobs until I got into my car and he was safely at his desk, but all I could think of was the thought that they are taking him away! And, I grieved. I grieved because he is gone from me for a long time each day. I was so sad because I missed him and not just him, but that phase of our life that is now passed-laying around all morning (he had pm kindergarten), having breakfast at 9, playing with toys for an hour before even realizing someone is hungry, reading books in bed for a half hour with the kids...now we are on a schedule. I told Grant how much I miss him and he told me he doesn't miss me...awesome. But, after a brief pause he said, "but I do think about you in the day." I guess that's how it is supposed to be. I definitely want him to love school, but thinking about his mom now and then can't hurt!

Summary of Summer!

2011-08-20T09:01:00.000-07:00

Its common knowledge I am not very good at taking pictures-getting a quality photo or taking enough of them. While I haven't toted my camera around to all our activities over the last three months, we have had a fun time. We've done Lagoon, Seven Peaks, a playdate at a new park every week, watched fireworks and parades, taken swimming lessons, gone swimming, gone to splash pads, played water park in our back yard, killed some grass with frequent slip and slide episodes, been to the float preview, the dentist, the Bees baseball game, done some house projects (painting) not exactly a happy memory I would like to reconjure. Grant's played on his first basketball team (and made two baskets, might I add!), had soccer training, Katelee's learned to ride a tw0-wheeler, we've visited with cousins and had Grandpa and Grandma visit from Florida, we've welcomed home my sister Paige from her mission-YAY!, visited with childhood lifelong friends (and their moms), gone to the canyons for a hike (we needed to do that WAY more), gone camping, we went to Lake Powell for the first time....Thanks to Dave's brother Brian-surfer and boater extraordinare. Here is Brian surfing with Katelee:
Grant loved the tubes, it couldn't be fast enough for him-two thumbs up with Dave crying out that he was going to die and it was too reckless!
Dave took to wake surfing really quickly and loved it.....me, on the other hand, I needed much more assistance, but eventually I got it!We welcomed our first pet and later buried (or should I say flushed) our first pet. Katelee wanted to take a picture of the floater on his day of decease, but I was a little grossed out by that, so we have no proof he ever lived. We've done free weekly bowling and started piano lessons. We are ready for school and we are TIRED!!!

The Mister

2011-07-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Just a little post to honor the provider of the house...Dave just had a birthday, so he is one year older and wiser too, at least we like to think so! He continues to work super hard at ADP, always pushing himself and motivating those around him. We appreciate him so much and love him a lot! Dave is a lover of travel and food. He is a self acclaimed food conniseur. If you need recommendations on where to get the best food (specifically dessert) he can direct you. Because he is so enticed by that which goes in his mouth, he runs a half marathon...one half marathon a year, and he trains for it very minimally. He believes this will counter act the calories consumed the other 364 days. Don't know if that is a healthy outlook, but I'd say a half marathon is impressive, no matter the preparation done before! Way to run it! Dave requested no cake this year, but opted for his mother's much loved Banana Chocolate Chip Bars. We sang, had some neighbors over for ice cream, and he indulged and loved every bite! Miss Brenna, however, seems to have cravings for mud pies these days-YUCK!

Culture

2011-06-09T09:50:00.001-07:00

We as a family want to experience culture...different cultures, discover our own, explore the meaning of the word. Is being 'cultured' being familiar with the refined and high society? (Katelee just had another dance recital. She is taking a one year leave to try out soccer. Now she is second guessing her decision. After the final curtain call, she yet again stood in front and waved to all her adoring fans. The girl needs the stage!)

I suppose some cultures are like that. But, we too have our own culture. I guess our kids have some religious traditions with our LDS faith. They, along with their father, have some southern culture sweetly dripping out with the occasional 'y'alls' and love for grits, Karo, grouper and the likes. This week we were all exposed to various cultures as we accompanied Dave to Las Vegas ...and exposed we were! He had work, we wanted to play, so it worked out. We had a great time. Grant pointed out some 'immodestness.' But all in all, we left unscathed! I love the representations from different architecture of the world. (A view from our hotel room...great spot to watch the fountains at the Bellagio). As we explored the Italian corner at the Venetian, the gondoliers were floating through the waters, serenading the passengers with elegant operatic tones. Katelee, leaned over the edge, and joined in song. But her choice was a more familiar one-Row Row Row Your Boat. I am sure all around enjoyed it. Here she is by the NY NY hotel.

I love people watching and I love variety. We have some diversity in our neighborhood, and I think we need to have some explanations about it in our home because recently Grant rode his bike up to our little neighbor whose parents were born in India and he stuck his head close to this boy's and exclaimed, "Hola! Como estas?!" Grant was across the street and I couldn't help but chuckle. We notice differences, and I hope we can all learn to appreciate them!

Crybaby...

2011-05-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

My eyes leak...a lot! I have been known to shed tears at the library story time, passing Grant's bus on his way to a field trip, and of course at various shows, commercials and websites, even the animated movie, "The Incredibles" has evoked emotion from this lady. Recently, I have been choked up at my little graduates. And, I mean really, how many graduations am I going to be attending? At this rate, we will be having ceremonies for graduating shoe sizes. I never had a graduation for every event, but despite how often they may occur, I still teared up. Dave shakes his head, I try to look down or blink them away, but to no avail. I feel sheepish that it happens, but the truth is-it does. I blame my mother, really. She is known to have some water works, but I think I am surpassing her in the "crying at ridiculous moments" category. I can't believe our kindergarten and joy school
years are over for Grant and Katelee, they were tears of pride and love and amazement at being able to watch the munchkins develop. This one: on the other hand, brings other sorts of tears to my eyes....tears of insanity and defeat! Brenna and I aren't really at war, per say, but she still wins. She is yet to find an obstacle she cannot conquer, and I would like chandeliers or kitchen butcher knives or every shelf in the pantry to be unreachable for her. Someday I may see those qualities as strengths, and it is pretty safe to say that I will at that moment...cry.

Anniversaries

2011-05-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

Dave and I will be celebrating our 9th anniversary next week. No, we didn't decide to go have a couple photo session, this picture was taken when we were in Florida a couple of weeks ago, celebrating another special anniversary.

Fifty years ago, two marvelous people wed in the lovely Pensacola, Florida area. There they raised 8 fabulous children (my charming husband, included). FIFTY YEARS! Seriously, how momentous is that?! Dave's parents spent their actual anniversary date on the beaches of Hawaii. Little did they know that a family extravaganza was planned to share in the happiness! All 8 kids gathered (which in and of itself is a big deal-8 kids spread across 7 different states) and some of their spouses, a few of the grandkids joined in the fun. All the prep work and arrival of each family member was done without my in-laws ever suspecting. We mostly all stayed in hotels on the beach -no complaints here :)! They went out to dinner to celebrate another anniversary-that of their lovely daughter Anna, and her husband Curt. (This really was just a cover story, but Anna and Curt's anniversary was close enough to the date, they fell for it!) They arrived at the restaurant, were brought into a room filled with those they loved the most and it was a touching moment none of us will ever forget. The shock was apparent, the emotions were high, the smiles and laughs were plentiful and it was a marvelous time. Every detail was attended to-flowers, party favors, champagne (non-alcoholic, of course!), gifts, presentations, a toast, a professional wedding cake. It went off without a flaw. The next day we held a luau in their house, in honor of their romantic getaway. Because the events where all 8 siblings and parents get together have been at funerals or never, the kids took the opportunity to fulfill their mother's dream and get professional photos done. Here is everyone: Carl and Catherine, Anna, Serena, Amy, Brent, David, Brian, Dean and Russell. I can only hope that in 41 years, when Dave and I hit our 50th, we will have evolved into a couple like his parents: committed, completely in love, graceful, respectful, happy and shining beacons to all who they come into contact.

Meanwhile, back at the farm, my mom tried to keep the kids out of trouble. Kind of hard with this one:

She even filled in for me as Grant had his kindergarten Nursery Rhyme Festival. He debuted as 'The Muffin Man,' and she and my sister supported him in his singing/reciting endeavors. We are so grateful for our families!

Paying Attention

2011-04-04T12:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend we watched the general conference of our church-The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As always, it was just what we all needed to feel that our Heavenly Father knows us and is aware of our circumstances. Our testimonies of Jesus Christ were strengthened and our resolve to be better was renewed. Loved it. My kids also "watched" it. That's a lot of sitting and coloring and listening (8 hours over 2 days). This morning while I was getting breakfast ready, Grant was playing with his conference packet we made, with a paper pulpit, paper prophet cut out, as well as the counselors in the First Presidency. He placed the cut out of Thomas S Monson up to the play pulpit and enthusiastically shouted, "Are you ready? Ready for CONFERENCE? Let me hear you yell 'Conference.' " (This is all said as if pumping up a sports team for the big game.) There was a dramatic pause as he echoed the word softly. Then, Grant repeated, "Come on,louder, say CONFERENCE. I can't hear you!" This time, the imaginary crowd reached the desired decibel of saying the word and Grant then did the sound of a distant crowd going wild "AHHHHH." So, while I am not sure he got a message over the weekend, he was paying attention. I must have missed the part of general conf where President Monson asked everyone to yell out conference and have those in attendance shout yeah! But, at least Grant is interepreting it as being exciting!!

Brenna, of course wasn't paying attention. And if I am not paying attention to her, she is walking across our island, scaling the oven door to get to the stove, climbing up the bunk beds (yes, we did take down the ladder, she scales it at the back). She's crazy. I told her I wasn't going to take any more pics of her until she grew some hair, but I caved.

One other thing Grant has being paying attention to: the ladies. Last night, he was writing notes to some classmates. One said, "Here is my number." Another, "You are funny." All of them ended with 'Love, Grant.' Until I got to one addressed to "Betty." (Name has been changed to protect those involved ;)!) It said, "Dear Betty, You Are Preti (pretty). From, Grant." I asked Grant if he thought "Betty" was pretty and he said, "Oh yes, and I love her voice. I want to kiss her on the lips." Oh dear. I told him not to...you never know, he probably would be hit with a harrassment suit of some sort. I will try to keep him in check, but girls-you better run!

Another Birthday

2011-03-23T12:57:00.001-07:00

Katelee turned 4 last week finishing up our busy birthday season. She is our little St. Patty's girl, which in itself is ironic because 2 of my 3 kids have reddish hair. Katelee is the one that doesn't, while she wanted to recognize her Irish roots by appearing on leprechaun's day, she has not the red hue or freckles or light coloring. We celebrated with a flip flop cake (gluten free, of course) presents and dinner of green food and good company with Grandma and Grandpa and Aunt Shannon. Katelee got a new bike and couldn't wait to try it out. She took off without a hitch. She chose to go to Kangaroo Zoo for a party with Brenna and Grant and they ran around like wild animals. Katelee is a pure girl. She cries daily, those tears can appear instantly and with drama like you have never before experienced. However, overall she is so fun and pleasant. We consider her to be like a little ray of sunshine, cheesy-yes, but true. She is so sunny and bubbly and skips, dances, sings her way through the day (with the previously mentioned dramatic outbursts sporadically placed). Even one of her friends asked her the other day as she was making up songs and bouncing around, "Why are you so happy?" Maybe she will be our optimist. She turned to me during church the other day and said, "Why do they always talk about Satan?!" She would rather we all burst out in happy songs like she does and peform some impromptu musical. I guess it could happen. Love our sunny lass!

Party til You Drop

2011-03-07T12:24:00.001-08:00

Actually, Brenna's narcoleptic high chair episode was not due to excessive partying. She's been sick, all the kids have been. I was just saying how the illnesses haven't been too frequent around our house this winter, then we got hit. But, we are on the mend. Now back to normal activities which consist of all things "fun." Everyday, usually after Grant is off to school, a little whiny gal moans, "Mom, I want to do something fun." This phrase is repeated over and over again and does not stop until a fun activity is found. Somedays I am Mary Poppins and try to teach Katelee that "in every task that must be done, there is an element of fun." She isn't buying it. She insists that her choices of fun things include: Candyland (which is constantly rigged by putting Princess Frostine as her first card drawn), Ring Around the Rosie, London Bridge is falling down-a real challenge with just us two, Hide and Seek or Play on the Computer. Next year, when Grant is gone all day long, I am afraid I am in for it. Although maybe Grant will be home next year because he told me the other day that "school wastes his time." I am hoping Brenna will grow into an entertainer role a bit for Miss Katelee. She can't keep up with the kids in a lot of play, but she seriously knows how to light saber better than I do.

My list of fun rarely coincides with Katelee's, but she has been telling me how much she loves roller coasters. She prays over her food, each time it is her turn to pray that the food may " help her to ride the roller coasters, because we love roller coasters." She continues with "bless the food so we will grow and be big enough to ride all the roller coasters." It is a good motiviation for those vegetables that I believe really tip the charts on roller coaster height qualificiations.

Let Them Eat Cake

2011-02-13T14:54:00.000-08:00

I think that frivolous French queen may have been on to something with that statement. We are partial to the deliciousness of cake, and look for every opportunity to consume it. The past few weeks gave us plenty of chances! We celebrated Grant's 6th birthday!!! And while I like to think of Dave and I as equal opportunity parental figures, we had a slip of the brain and failed to take many pictures. It really is a travesty because his celebration was such a success! Grant opted for a Star Wars birthday...shocker, I know. He invited some friends and had a jedi training experience with pizza, Yoda sodas and games. After their master/trainer (aka known as Master Kara the Wise, dressed in my father's ever so handy brown robe) had assessed they were prepared for full jedi status, we went to our garage. I had all the boys try to FORCE up the garage and somehow...they did!! No one was standing by the garage door button, but it surely did arise and there on our driveway was DARTH VADER! The entire pack of boys attacked as only jedi's can. It was fabulous. We love our little Star Warrior. Brenna, the wild child, the crazy climbing animal of the house, turned 1 last week!! She loved her toy and loved her cake, as displayed in the series of pictures to follow, tenderly entitled "Progression of Cake Consumption"

.Roll her out, she is done. Cake=yummy; result=sugar overload!

Birthday Extraordinare...(it's a lengthy post, you may want to just skim through!)

2011-01-29T12:27:00.000-08:00

This week was momentous for me. I entered a new decade and I embarked on a collaborative celebration for my birthday, my sister's and my dear friend Alisha's. My mom also accompanied us on the amazing vacation. We have always wanted to go sky-diving (with the exception of Shannon!) and flew down to Arizona to fulfill our dream! Quite a few months back, Alisha and I were discussing what to do for our entrance to the "30's." We were then informed by my travel planning and superior surprising husband that he was already arranging something. He planned our entire trip and had started it without our knowledge. We had to fly to Arizona because it is way too cold to do that here in the winter! As soon as we got off the plane we headed to our jumping destination. We received little instruction...pretty much the standard harnassing and the mention that you need to "arch or die." Not the most encouraging of words when you consider falling 10,000 feet. Before I left, Grant had wished me a happy birthday with one request, "don't die, Mom." I figured that was valid. After being hooked we walked onto our luxurious plane (heavy sarcasm here) that would carry us into the horizon. I had joked all along in our trip preparations that I would be fine with the jump as long as we weren't in a dinky plane that was put together with duct tape. Alisha kindly pointed out the adhesive tape was in fact used inside the plane. Scary. Dave had assured me that this was a legitimate company he had researched, but he also told me he had increased my life insurance, so I wasn't convinced on that! Alisha went first, then my mom, then I scooted out to the open door and fell through the air with the greatest of ease and exhilaration like none I have experienced before. I LOVED it and the landing went smoothly (for me)...Alisha looked like she was kneeling over her lunch that came back up, but she just couldn't get back on her feet and my mom walked like a drunken sailor, which she attributed to bad knees) but all in all, it was AMAZING!!

.. ..

We stayed a night at a fanciful desert retreat, had an incredible dinner at McCormick and Schmick's, came back to the room to rose petals and chocolate strawberries (arranged by previously mentioned husband of the year). The next morning we had massages and explored downtown Scottsdale. It was PERFECT. Dave did an unbelievable job with my birthday. It was so special, and while I will get an earful for mentioning this, I appreciate how he got us there as much as the trip. He sold items on ebay, negotiated gift cards from work and donated his plasma (his specialty for those of you who know us well), to fund parts of the extravaganza.

As I enter a new decade, I reflect back on my last 30 years. I guess my hope and aspiration is that with each decade, each year, each day really I am getting better. I want to be getting closer to becoming the woman I want to be and know I have the potential to be. I don't want anyone to see me or think my name and have the thought cross their mind, "boy, Kara, she has really gone down hill..." While all of our lives are a journey and experience to test our character, I find that my greatest growth periods have come in situations I didn't necessarily want to be in. If I get a choice, I would like to cap out at 80, so for the next 50 years, I want to choose to not only look for the best in the things, but make the best out of everything. But, with this particular birthday, I didn't need to put in any effort, it just truly was THE BEST.

Superpowers

2011-01-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I think members of my family have abnormal abilites. For example, Dave can sleep through anything, anywhere, anytime. From family movie nights, to ringing in the New Year, to being dragged out of a rainstorm in a sleeping bag, he can stay in a peaceful slumber.

Grant can see things the normal eye can not perceive. The other day he told me, as his finger was poking into his eyeball, that when he did that he was able to see me and my spirit. Fascinating...

Katelee can control objects without any contact, apparently. When asked if Brenna was awake in her crib, Katelee answered that indeed she was and all of Brenna's toys had "magically gone into the crib and buried" the baby.

Is Brenna swollen and bloody in that photo? Yes, she had previously run into my metal bed frame. She has a great healing power, as well as an uncanny stamina...pushing sleep away when a regular human would cave with exhaustion. Brenna has been working on surprise tactics as she demonstrated here. I opened my kitchen drawer to find a small child...clever girl. Now, all I have to do is learn how to fly or continue my quest for super strength and we will be a family of super heroes!

Holiday Highlights

2011-01-03T12:05:00.000-08:00

We don't take enough pictures. I am certain we had good holiday fun, but not many photos to show it! Some of our memorable moments include:

--seeing the lights at Temple Square

--Christmas Eve party with family, doing the nativity, singing songs and eating food...Christmas breakfast (quiche-YUM!), Christmas Day fun.

--Discovering a crazy coincidence: After a night of assembly a few days before Christmas, some busy elves left a big empty box in our kitchen. Grant walked downstairs and peeked around and we reasoned that it was a box from some of the toys that were donated from our neighborhood party. The strangest part is that Katelee got the same toy from Santa on Christmas Day! I don't know if that incident would fly very well in a few years!

--Brenna finding her stocking and toys and gravitating to everyone's little Debbie Cakes. She snatched them up and ran around the house like she had discovered sweet manna from heaven...she did recieve a toy or two, but couldn't have cared less.

--Talking to my awesome sister on a mission in Argentina

--Grant would say the best part of the holiday vacation was playing lots and lots of Lego Star Wars...he and Katelee were sick, so most of the week was spent on the couch.

--New Years Eve fun: playing games with friends, and then turning on a movie to pass the time until midnight. Dave fell asleep by 10:45, but Grant, Katelee and I counted down, toasted our Martinelli's at midnight accompanied by the sweet snores of their Daddy.

Here's to a great 2011!

Dancing Queen

2010-12-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

This little beauty had her first dance recital last week. As many of you may be aware, Miss Katelee is extremely accident prone, whether it be falling at random or running into very visible walls/doors, etc. She has issues. We were encouraged by our pediatrician to enroll her in a dance class or something of the sort to assist in her coordination and she has LOVED it! My personal favorite portion of the evening was after her dance they invited all the girls in the classes to come up and bow and Santa came to visit. While most little gals were gathering around the big man, Katelee took the opportunity to find the front of the stage and jump and bounce and take her moment to shine. It was adorable. She has come a long way from just shaking her booty in the corner of the studio to learning all the steps, without too many tumbles! We may have a lot to worry about with this one as these last two weeks she has told me 1) "I am going to do something that will knock your sock off," and 2) that she is "not going to have a modest butt." Please excuse her if you see some unwanted skin, we are working on it!!

Santa Sighting

2010-12-14T15:43:00.000-08:00

Last night, at our neighborhood party, we had an unexpected visitor! Our neighbors got together in our garage to have treats and gather gifts to donate to others, and the Jolly Old Elf Himself, Kris Kringle, came strolling up our driveway. I called to Grant and exclaimed that Santa was here...he looked up in the night sky and replied, "Mom, that's the moon." I told him to look down our driveway and he SCREAMED, "SANTA's Here! Santa's here!" He ran and told everyone he could. It was awesome. Katelee and Brenna each got a turn on his lap, as well as anyone else who wanted to. Brenna mostly just liked his jingle bell! He was so fun and a highlight of the night. It's fun to hear what the kids request...one just wanted a candy cane (easy! he had one there)...Katelee froze and asked for a lion! I told her that wild animals are not welcome in our home, but maybe Santa could find a toy lion for her. I also reminded her how much she loves princess things and Santa knows that! Gone are the days when Grant asks for toliet paper (to shred around the house for the garbage man to pick up!) More pricey gifts are now the request and I am sure he price tag goes up with age! He will be happy with anything Star Wars. But in this day of technology, I hear from most kids Ipods, Ipads, Ipod Touch, etc. We know it is a button pressing society and generation when I listen to Grant and Katelee play. When someone needs a break, whether for the restroom, or to retrieve a toy, someone declares, "Pause the Game!" The game can then be unpaused when all players are back in their spots! Maybe I could pause the day and get a nap once in a while!

Thankful!

2010-12-02T14:20:00.000-08:00

I am grateful for so many things, and while the company was great in Kansas, I am mostly thankful to be HOME!! This innocent looking monster in-disguise
is crazy!! She screamed for over an hour on our flight over, nothing could soothe her. The looks of death I received from other passengers are sure to go down in my long-term memory in the "frightened for my life" file. There were a few kind fellow travelers. One told me as I stood up trying to jump out of the aircraft before it had come to a complete stop, "You did good, Mommy." It made me loose any composure I had struggled to maintain! The nights with little Brenna were spent half of the time in the car, as Dave drove her around and pacified her so the other hotel guests could rest, and she also gave us the opportunity to visit the local ER. She fell into the entertainment center at the hotel and hit an artery of some sort because the blood was gushing in pulses. She is fine and only needed a drop of glue, which I didn't feel comfortable administering myself. The only picture we took is the following at a LDS Church history site. I can't believe we didn't take any with Amy and Jason's family. Next time, I guess, hopefully that will be sooner than 5 years or so!
Best parts of the trip: spending time with family we never see, having our kids meet their cousins for the first time, listening to Grant and Katelee reciting "Charlie Bit My Finger" (from the Youtube video), British accents included, as we flew home, eating a delicious meal and having my pies turn out this year!, visiting Liberty Jail, and taking time to be truly grateful...amidst the chaos! You will be happy to learn that Brenna Catherine is now grounded and on restriction from any further air travel.

Football Fans

2010-11-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

We have enjoyed going to the Utah football games this season. Dave took Katelee to one, Grant to a home game, he has gone a couple of times with friends, and I took my friend, Alisha to one. He and I are going to the BYU/Utah game at the end of the month, but last weekend Dave and Grant took a little excursion to Chicago and South Bend. They went to Medieval Times to see a dinner show full of knights and jousting and swords. From the talk that has gone on since, I think it just may have been one of the highlights of Grant's life thus far! I am guessing he is going for the rotted tooth/decay infested mouth of the Dark Ages with his discolored teeth here! The next day Dave took Grant to the Utah vs. Notre Dame football game. While the football game itself was less than desirable....they had a great time! Dave said the Notre Dame fans were so nice and welcoming and really friendly. (I think some people here-both of the blue and red associations could learn a thing or two from them!). While the boys were away, oh yes the girls did play!!! We had a girls night on Friday, which consisted of my mom, Shannon, Katelee, Brenna and I doing our toenails and playing games. I do not have an affection for Candyland, but Horton Hears a Who is a riot! The next day I planned a date with Katelee to go to a movie. She didn't want to go with just me. She kept asking and asking who else could go...I am not going to lie, she hurt my feelings...but she was quickly forgiven and we ventured out on the town. The boys got back just in time for church and we are off next week as a family to Kansas for Thanksgiving.

Goodbye Gluten

2010-11-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

The results are back, the surgery over and it's official. Katelee has celiac disease. She is going gluten free. The diet will be a bummer at first (and at times later-birthday parties, school lunches, church snacks, etc) but we will adjust. I am so glad we found out what was wrong. She was in a lot of pain and it was so sad. Many people with celiac don't manifest the excruciating symptoms, but the damage is still being done to their insides and attributing to higher risks of other dangerous illnesses-cancer (lymphoma), thyroid disease, anemia, internal bleeding, malnutrition, etc. Anyway, we are working on not cross contaminating her food from ours. Here she is pre-surgery at Primary Children's: It's a disturbing sight seeing your child go under anesthesia and flopping around the table like a fish. But the grape scented gas worked, and she was off to sleep in no time. She woke up very unhappy but was back to her happy self by the end of the day. If anyone has super great bread/rolls/cakes/cookie recipes that are gluten free, please share! Also, here is Grant after his school play. He was obviously Benjamin Franklin. For some reason, he isn't wearing the pink barbie glasses I gave him to wear for his big speaking part. He looked dashing and spoke ever so eloquently!

Trick or Treat!

2010-10-31T14:28:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Halloween, with lots of treats...I thought I would show Brenna's trick-her walking. If you would like to see videos of this click here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae_3FhT3QtU or here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSMIf04Ghhg She is 8 months, won't sleep through the night, or eat well, or grow teeth or hair, but she is on the move! Here are our costumes this year, as well:

Katelee the spooky Ghost
Grant was Vader, Darth Vader (yes, he introduced himself like that)
Me the witch (I know, I know, why didn't I dress up?!) Brenna was a bumble Bee on Halloween and a pumpkin for some of the parties-two costumes, what a lucky girl.
Dave wanted to be a lost soul...misguided and confused...one neighbor just said he was dressed like a loser, assess for yourself!

Spooky Stuff...

2010-10-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

Our month has been thus far filled with fun and frightful activities! We love picking out our pumpkins at the pumpkin patch, taking field trips with preschool,
and going to Cornbelly's. We have also been happily watching this little one taking steps. While it is adorable, at times I feel like it is slightly disturbing! She just seems too tiny!

We also love going to see the witches every year. Good times...

I have always thought the boys in our family were a bit more on the scary side, but this year, us girls take the cake. I have come to this conclusion due to the following examples:
Brenna-She seems to have an affinity for creatures of the night! She still insists on night time feedings! Me: Apparently, my hair is unruly. (Really, I already was aware of that, Grant just pointed it out to me the other day.) We were discussing how we could style his mop for crazy hair day and he answered he could just do it like mine...how I was wearing it right then...which is normal for me. Yikes.

Katelee: The other night I heard Katelee get up and go the bathroom. After I heard her conclude her business, I was certain she returned to bed. I discovered I was wrong when I heard snip snipping right by my ear. I awoke with a start, to find Katelee Edward Scissorhand-like with dangerous object in hand. Good thing I just opened my eyes and didn't sit up when she whispered my name because I quite possibly could have been injured! She calmly said, "mom, here are my scissors. They were in the bathroom." It was a sweet delivery, just very unsettling in the dark and at 3am. Hope your Halloween Haunts are fun!

Yours or Mine?

2010-09-26T14:35:00.000-07:00

There are times when I look at our children and I claim them as my own...refering to them as mine, etc to Dave. There are other moments when I talk to them about "his" children.

Ex: I told Dave about my cute Grant when he defended Katelee against a bullying boy, exclaiming, "Don't hurt my sister!" I am pretty sure I referred to Grant as his father's son when he held a restaurant plastic kids cup, and with all seriousness asked me "Mom, when you die, I get this right?"

Katelee is my girl when she says things like, " I love everyone in the whole whole world, and my family." I am certain she comes from Dave when I see her in her dance class not twisting as the other 3 year olds, but dirty dancing to herself in the corner against the mirror...definitely not a trait from me ;)

Brenna cakes is all mine when she giggles and crawls across the room for me, stands on her own or squeals. She is Dave's when she gets into the Cheetos bag and we turn from pushing the kids on the swings to see her laying in a bed of the processed product with one hanging out of her mouth like a pastuerized cigar....definitely her dad's!

She is 7 1/2 months old and starting to stand on her own and even take a step or two...walking is not too far away! My friend Kelsey took this sweet pictures of her.

Good thing my kids have to claim me as their mom all the time, even when my actions are less than becoming!

School and Snowbird

2010-09-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Katelee started pre-school this week. We are doing a neighborhood rotation with some other moms and little girls in the area. I think I can keep up with the curriculum at this age, so I feel ok teaching it! When she gets a little older I may be a bit rusty, but the alphabet is right up my alley! I told her to get her backpack on so we could take a few pics and this is what happened:

The girl is summed up by these words: silly, goofy, crazy. She keeps us laughing. We also got to spend some time up at Snowbird this week. My grandparents had a time share there and now my parents take care of it. We look forward to the week there all year. It is fun to spend time with family, walk, swim, hike, go on the playground and eat a lot! Brenna loved her first swing slide experiences. She giggled and smiled the whole time. We had a great time with the exception of Katelee karate chopping me in the neck all night long. We may need to rethink the sleeping assignments the next go around!

An AMAZING Trip (or so I am told..)

2010-08-30T08:53:00.001-07:00

Dave recently returned from a fantastic cruise to the Baltic. I have gathered that it was so incredible, I can only dream about its wonder! I just have to wonder why his work didn't want me to bring along Brenna, the baby kins...I mean, who could deny this face such a journey?! Well, they did deny her, and thus me since I am her source of nutrients! But, Dave loved every minute of it. He went to Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Estonia, and Copenhagen. Here are some photos.

I can't describe the day or the surroundings, but it does look cool! We just chilled here and tried to keep up with Brenna as she thinks she is SuperBaby. She likes to crawl, pull herself up, play up the stairs-not so much down them, take a bath, and boycott night time sleep.

Also, I almost did a post of Grant's first day Part 2 because we just switched schools. I just was hesitant because I really don't want to put all my readers (all three of you!) out there through the emotional turmoil our last post may have evoked ;). No, he is just trying out a charter school nearby. He hated to leave the comfort of the bus, I hated to give up the convenience of a bus, but we are so in favor of a traditional school year schedule! The penny worked again, but who knew that picking up your kindergartener is more likely to get him lost than an unfamiliar bus?!

And So it Begins...

2010-08-04T09:38:00.000-07:00

Our family has officially entered the public school system, as Grant started kindergarten yesterday. He has been anxiously awaiting the day for a long time, as have I! He wore his backpack, did his chores (make bed, brush teeth, etc) as soon as he woke up and was ready to go. We got to the bus stop way too early, but all went off without a hitch. The night before, we gave Grant a "lucky penny" that each one of us kissed (I know, gross and dirty...the germs we allowed ourselves to be subject too...) and told him to keep it in his pocket. Then, if ever he got nervous throughout the day or bus ride, he could reach in his pocket, and touch it, knowing we love him and are with him! (cue the AWWWW's). I had tried to suggest to Grant he may like me to drive him on his first day, to which he replied, "No mom, I am going to ride the cheese wagon!" After he stepped on the bus, I told Dave, "Grab the baby, stick her in the car-I am following the bus!" He just shook his head and smiled and repeatedly asked me if I was crying (as if the tears streaming and welling up weren't an indication!). Dave got a kick out of it as I zoomed off to go through the route with Grant, unbeknownst to him. It is a long bus drive, I won't do that again. I wondered if I was over the top as I was the only one following the kids...but the second to last stop a few other moms joined in and we caravaned, easing my concern of being a wacked out mother!
Since Grant didn't know I was following him, I think he was a little startled when I yelled his name out my window and waved furiously like it was the last time I would ever see him! But, if you look closely, I think he is holding the penny!

He did great, got off at the right stop and loved every minute of it. He told me one kid cried the entire class, poor guy. Grant is all grown up, but he did run off the bus, straight to my arms and yelling "MOM!" It made me feel like he isn't too ashamed of me and my behavior, after all!

Blue Angels

2010-07-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

While in Pensacola a couple of months back, we were hoping to see a Blue Angels air show, but they didn't have one scheduled during our visit. So, Dave looked up their shows and found one not too far from us in Idaho Falls. So, last weekend we ventured up to exotic Idaho Falls with the kiddos and went to the show at the IF airport. It was incredible! Dave got a little taste of his home and we all enjoyed it....well, by the end! Friday night we got to stop by and see our friend, Nicole, and walk the river and see the waterfalls downtown. We all loved that. Brenna did ok on the drive, but she slept through the loudest part of the air show, so that was great. The day of the show was HOT. And, the blue angels didn't get started until 3 hours into the show, so the kids were a bit spent, especially after jumping on the hotel beds late the night before. (Don't worry, Dave slept through the whole bed hopping...he got his much needed rest to be our chaueffer!) Apparently, I am not at my best after baking in the sun 3 hours either because I lost it on Grant after he started crying and wanted to go home. I told him we drove up a long way for him and he would look up at the jets and HE WOULD LIKE IT! You know what? I felt a little silly after, but he loved it in the end! Maybe my outburst worked, or perhaps he just threw a smile on to keep the beast from emerging again!

And, by the way, this cute little one started crawling! Say what? She is five and a half months old! She thinks she is a grown up baby, except for the night sleeping part...she is still stuck in the newborn stage!

Summer Lovin'

2010-07-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

Dave had a birthday, yes I forgot to get candles, but he did blow out a couple of matches from his strawberry pie (per request of the birthday boy!). While we are on the subject of Dave, he deserves a shout out for qualifying for his works president's club! He will be cruising the Baltic next month for his hard work (although he will be solo because this year no kids are invited, and Brenna is still pretty attached to me, literally!). We are so proud and he is SO excited!

We have just been enjoying our lazy days of summer at the pool
where Grant, especially has discovered his inner fish!We've been letting the kids stay up way too late every night riding bikes and running around. We've been going to parades and carnivals,spending time with family,making new friends, watching fireworks,

and just being cute! Grant has even been noticing how adorable his sisters are. The other day he said, "Katelee, you look beautiful today." Then, with hand on hip, he turned to me and with a chuckle said, "Mom, I KNOW you have something you want to say to me!" I then told him he looked awfully handsome. His reply was, "I knew you wanted to tell me that!" He is cute, but we are working on the humility!

Set for the Season...

2010-06-11T10:20:00.000-07:00

We are ready for summer and enjoying the sun thus far. The kids got new haircuts...as so candidly displayed by Katelee here. Now they can play sans sweaty heads! Except of course this little Chubberton. She is still bald as can be. I anticipate a haircut in early 2013 for her.
We have Grant and Katelee signed up for swimming lessons next week and Brenna is ready for rescue efforts just in case ;)
Grant wrapped up his first soccer season, where he ran like a champ. He was so gracious and gentlemanly and allowed every other child the opportunity to kick the ball, but he could run like the best of them. As long as no one was challenging his fancy footwork, he would dapple with the kicking!
After we completed his last game, he said to me, "So, I am done with soccer for a couple months right? " I told him that was correct and he would start up again in the fall, so its just a nice little break. He replied with, "oh good. It's like I am off track, just like the good old days!"

Yep, just like the good old days!! Where he can steal my camera and give Katelee her own personal photo shoot:
(I'm pretty impressed with the pics here, just the lighting may need to be adjusted!)...I am not sure the events that surrounded his work here, possibly a tribute to sibling relations?!

Back to the free time where he can build space ships with dominos
and enjoy food in the sun. Live it up kid, cuz kindergarten is fast approaching, then you will really wish for those good old days!

Thank you, Florida

2010-05-19T12:58:00.000-07:00

I would like to take a moment and thank the great state of Florida, especially the specific cities of Pensacola and Panama City of being at their best last week. We could hardly contain our excitement as we were able to dip our toes in the warm emerald water on the white sand beaches. It was fabulous and beautiful! Grant couldn't get enough of the water and Katelee liked it as long as she stayed away from the wiggles (waves) that would "take her away forever."Brenna just liked sticking her tongue out to taste that salty sea air. She enjoyed the dolphins on our boat ride to Shell Island, feeling the sand and showing off her gut in her bathing suit!

I would like to thank the wonderful laundry fairies who reside in Florida, who magically pick up all of our dirty clothes and have it freshly washed when we return from any outings. That wonderful service has not followed us to our home, so I guess it is exclusive to that location.

A great thanks to Dave's family who hosted and cooked and were our own private hotel. The kids loved seeing an aunt, uncle, cousins (we are counting Droopie dog), grandparents and a great grandpa as well. We loved the Naval Air Station, the seafood restaurants on the beach and were so glad it wasn't too hot!

Thank you to all who were patient with us as we traveled on the plane...from Katelee yelling out to a nice lady sporting a cowboy hat "Hello cowboy Girl!" to the other passengers in our row who chuckled as Grant exclaimed he could see the whole world! Katelee explained she just could view Africa.

Ahh, Florida....we will see you again!

A Shout out and the Baker

2010-05-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Grant starting calling Brenna 'the Baker' when she was sporting this hat...I think the name is appropriate. Brenna, and the rest of the family would like to give kudos to Dave for his triumphant finish in the half marathon he ran Saturday. He shaved off his time from last year's half by 10 min, and he did it all in snow and freezing temperatures, without gloves and a head phone ear piece. We are all so proud! Dave claims he runs half marathon yearly so that he can eat what he wants throughout the year, train and run to loose the extra pounds. We have some interesting food issues at our house...I just love food...Grant, usually likes everything. Although, he has been tricky lately. Dave and/or I have walked into the bathroom by the kitchen to find partially chewed spinach or carrots in the little garbage can. He is going to have to be a little more stealthy to get away with that! Katelee has serious eating problems. The other day I asked her to eat a blueberry. She sweetly picked it up, clasped it between her hands in a prayer pose, and in a princess voice whispered, "I wish with all of my heart for this to break!" Alas, the blueberry was still there when she opened her hands and she had to consume the dreaded berry! I asked her to eat something else another day to which she replied, "I can't mom, because there is a stop sign in my mouth!"

Here the kids are helping Dave deliver breakfast for his CPA partners at work...they gladly ate a doughnut! I guess we all have our food battles!

Blessing

2010-04-19T12:43:00.000-07:00

We recently blessed Brenna at our church and it turned out to be a really nice day. We had great family support and good food was enjoyed by all. The baby's dress was finished with a day to spare so she didn't have to go in just a onesie and I felt good about that!
Dave did a great job on the blessing and told our little sweetie that she has made so many people happy in her short time here and it is so true! I wasn't too worried about her survival around the housewith her older siblings, thinking Katelee would be sweet and motherly (which has been true with one exception when she smacked her stomach with super strength), and I thought surely Grant will have out grown his dangerous habits he had when Katelee was new. Well, there have been no intentional homicidal attempts on his part; however, he is still constantly told to stay away from the baby because he is always in her face, making her punch herself, putting diapers on her head, face, etc, trying to carry her. She tenses when he gets close but we are working on it!

At the conclusion of the day, we asked Brenna how she felt everything went and this is what she had to say:

Down the Road...

2010-04-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Someday, in the future, I can have nice things again. My children seem to like to ruin or at least break in new items that I had dreams of keeping up. For instance, we bought a new vehicle a few months back to make room for the new baby. Well, what happens the first day we bring it home? Katelee has an accident on the back seat! I think she was just cementing in our minds that this was a family car, to be experienced and used by all members of such! This week we hosted a dinner for Easter. There weren't enough chairs at our table for everyone, so we told Katelee she could sit in the new high chair. Katelee has an aversion to food, well backup, a dislike for all things healthy. She would gladly eat chicken nuggets, cheese, chocolate etc... I mean what kid wouldn't? But, she has been nothing but challenging when it comes to eating fruits and veggies. We have to feed her and coax her through each bite, reassuring her that she won't throw up. She begins the dry heaves before the fork even touches her mouth. Well, we had not told Kate's cousin the routine as he fed her some Easter dinner and she puked...all over our new high chair. Yes, that is easy to clean, yes it is durable, but I just shake my head and think "really? all things new must be broken in with bodily fluids?"

I know down the road I will get to work out in the mornings..but then I wouldn't get to lay in bed and read books with all of my kids. Someday I will not have pirate ships and army guys blocking my door way or jammed into my antique camera ...but then when I get to that place in the road I won't have first smiles, or my little 3 year old grabbing my face in her hands before bed and saying, " Mom, do you want to play tomorrow?!" I wouldn't trade this place in my road and while I longingly think of full nights sleep, I think I will try to enjoy each moment because I know I will look back and wish for these days! (Except the potty accidents, I can really do without those!!)

Dreamin'

2010-03-30T12:25:00.001-07:00

Around our house we are just dreaming

(in the middle of the hall...or in the center of the floor)
of warm days where we can go to the beach
and jump off a real diving board into real water, not just a couch pretending the blue blanket on the floor is a pool! Warm weather is coming soon and we are all happy!!

She's full of...LIFE!

2010-03-19T11:09:00.000-07:00

The other day I told Katelee to eat her lunch and she replied with, "I can't, because I am full of it." Oh, she is so right :) . No, we adore this little leprechaun lady and can't believe she just had another birthday!! It's funny that we have at least one kid with red hair (possibly two...Brenna's hair is currently multi-colored and yet to be decided)...but our St Patty's baby did not inherit the Irish coloring! We love our little Katelee! She is full of love, lots of emotions, and the best expressions you have ever seen!

Daddy bought Kate flowers (the roses are green!). We had dinner (green noodles), opened presents... Grant is showing Katelee how to work her new bike, and she is donning her new dress. She had to try every piece of clothing on immediately! We ate cake....
and it was a great party. Nothing in this world gives this girl more joy than...CHOCOLATE. She walked into the kitchen the other day and told me she could smell something chocolate...later I told her "I love your guts." She replied with, "I love your guts the most-because they are chocolate guts!" (if that were true, I'd probably be a sweeter person!) So, we responded to her every request on her birthday, including the "Dad, do you want to pour chocolate syrup in my mouth?" suggestion:
This has been done before, usually Dave and the kids hide behind the fridge door and fill their mouths with Hershey's syrup, like I don't know what is transpiring. Brenna celebrated much of the night in her swing. Please notice her little Irish socks her sweet Aunt Shannon brought her straight from Dublin!
One more future black mail picture/story of Grant: He was acting like a maniac the other day and I asked him where he came from. His reply: "From outer space...." That clears a lot up! Thank you for the confirmation. We have some AWESOME kids!!!

Making Adjustments...

2010-03-04T10:13:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it has been three weeks since Brenna was born. Time flies by when you aren't continuously tossing your cookies! We are all learning how this sweet baby fits into our lives. Dave is still getting sleep and thinks this baby is the cutest little squish. I am adjusting to the sleep deprivation and all other physical demands that come with a new baby that are best not mentioned here! It is always amazing how you don't really need to make room in your heart to love another child, you just find that you had a capacity that was untapped! It is strong and all consuming and awesome.

Grant is all over Brenna...and I do mean ALL OVER her. He constantly hovers and while I am feeding her, he constantly asks if I am done milking yet... as if I didn't already make that connection in my head with how I feel! He is fascinated by all she does. He discovered my pump and has requested to borrow it for Star Wars because it looks like a space satellite....awesome. He asked me to take the baby somewhere else the other day because couldn't hear his game on the computer...hmmm, so sorry to intrude! Another day,he was giggling as she wrapped her little fingers around his and I told him how she was saying she loved him. He said, "No, she is saying I WILL DESTROY YOU!" Ah, the power of an infant!
Katelee has only been kind to the little babe...but she is still figuring out where we all fit. Most days she is even more emotional than ever, which is extreme for our live in drama queen. Here is a glimpse of how she looks most days: All in all, we are adjusting smoothly and are so happy Brenna is here! Most of the time, I think she enjoys it as well!

Welcoming Brenna

2010-02-14T10:12:00.000-08:00

Brenna Catherine arrived Wednesday evening at 10:52pm. While I had plenty of forewarning with my labor starting early Tuesday morning, we may have waited a bit too long to leave for the hosptial...considering I was in the delivery room for 20 minutes before her debut!

She weighed in at 8lbs 4oz and is 21 in long. We all adore her completely! The kids have been enamored and I have averted some near smotherings...more to come of that I am sure!

Dave and I met on Valentines Day at an Institute church breakfast. So, every year to be sentimental and cutesy, I suppose, we go out to breakfast. This year, we obviously opted to stay in, but I can think of no greater way to celebrate than to be with our "big kids" and welcome our new beautiful daughter. It is definitely a Happy Love day!!!

Birthday Boy

2010-02-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

Grant recently had his birthday and I would declare it was a success! He counted down the days until it arrived and the night before he wanted to verify with me that I would come get him in the morning, like it was Christmas. It was really cute. However, as he is one year older I think he has entered full boy battle zone...gone are the days where he would pretend he is a chef, the garbage obsession has fizzled (not too sad about that, plus he still has occasional trash pick up days with his trucks and toliet paper around the house), but every night before bed he picks a new super hero name. Sometimes he makes up a name (like Super Slice, a dangerous foe who could dash you to bits with his fingernails) or he chooses a standard marvel character (ie Wolverine or Ironman). So, his birthday gifts consisted of light sabers, strobe laser guns, Batman, Spiderman toys etc. He chose a crocodile cake and was pleased with how it turned out:
We had a lot of fun that day and he got to sleepover at grandma's house after, so it was a birthday to remember! We also got to say farewell to my sister Paige who left on her mission a couple of weeks ago! The kids pray she will have no troubles on her mission, especially learning Spanish...I am sure she will appreciate that! We tried to spend lots of time with her and here we are at the Sweets Candy shop. I can't get Grant to part with his flattering hair net, he said he is keeping it forever....

Christmas Cheer

2009-12-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone's Christmas was merry and bright! We had a nice holiday and are already getting questions from the kids as to where Santa is now and when it will be Christmas again.

Who knew such refined princesses eat candy canes with their feet! Who teaches these people manners?!

We didn't send out Christmas cards this year but please know how much we appreciate and love our family and friends! I haven't been feeling great and have been opting out of a lot of things on the account of never ending queasiness! A couple of weeks ago, I was really not feeling well, hauling the kids around with my barf bag ready in my purse. We approached Costco, and I really didn't want to go in, so I asked Grant and Katelee if they wanted to go home or go to Costco. Of course, Grant wanted to go home and Katelee wanted to go in. I told them to work it out and let me know in a few minutes what was decided. I listened in as Katelee whined and pouted and Grant attempted bribery and persuasion for his side. Finally, Grant let out a sigh and said, "Alright Kate, will it make you happy if we go to Costco?" The little drama queen sniffled and said, "Yes." Grant announced we could go ahead and go in. I told him that it was so nice of him to do that, to which he replied, "Well, I am just doing my job!"
While it made me smile and it was a cute reply, I have thought that is going to be one of the things I would like to work on in 2010...making it my job to put others first and see to it they are happy! Happy New Year!

Things We Will Never Do...

2009-12-17T12:45:00.001-08:00

Do you ever look back and laugh at all the things you said you would never do because you realize that you broke that vow long ago. Things like: I will never let my kid sleep in my bed, I will never have an artificial tree at Christmas (promise broken for the McArthurs Christmas 2007, and it has been a glorious fake tree time since), or I will never pay someone to put up Christmas lights. This last certainty is yet to be done away, but after our lighting of the house this year, we may consider it in 2010. Here's our neighbor's house:
We envisioned something like this for our home, but it ended up like this:
It's fine, I know, but mini-lights are not my thing for outdoors, I requested the large ones, but this is what we got. Now, that isn't the reason for the possibility of paying someone to do this for us next year. Dave, in all his handy glory offered to help our neighbor hang his lights on his tall house because they could do it faster if they worked together and our neighbor is slightly squeamish with heights. (different neighbor than the one who occupies the picture above). So, as Dave was on the ladder at our friends' house, the ladder slips and Dave is hanging on to their house by the rain gutter. After the ladder punched a hole in the stucco and dropped to the ground, Dave knew it was also his time to release to the concrete below. Our neighbor caught Dave and they landed with their faces inches from each other and eyes as wide as could be. Grant, witnessed the whole thing and came inside to tell me. He said, "Mom, Dad needs you. He fell off the ladder on Mr. Taylor.....it was AWESOME!" Everyone is fine and honestly, it is pretty funny. He wasn't too high off the ground, but we may be considering other options for next year!

The other day Grant handed me a french fry (anyone out there say their kids would never eat fast food:)?) . I told him thanks and he said " I want to give you this fry mom because that's what Christmas is all about-GIVING." Excellent reflection time for me at the local Wendy's. I was glad to be reminded of all I have been given and want to give. Thanks Grant!

Queenie and The Brain

2009-11-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

I am not sure how many kids have imaginary friends. I never had one, and aside from my neice's imaginary Grandmother Ella, I had never encountered one. Grant doesn't have an imaginary friend, exactly...but at times I catch him whispering under his breath and looking like this:

When I ask him what he is doing he replies with a hand up shushing me, or a remark like "Hold on, I am talking to THE BRAIN." Occasionally he will even burst out in the middle of the day, "What a great idea BRAIN!" Or after I ask him a question, he will say, "Let me ask the Brain." very interesting.

Katelee likes to think she is Grant's second mother. She frequently gives him loving instructions throughout the day "Make sure you watch for cars, Grant" "That is NOT good manners, Grant." etc. Well, the other day, Grant had had enough. He said, "Are you my boss, Katelee?" Katelee calmly turned to her subject and responded..."NO, I am the Queen." Glad we all know our places in the world!

October

2009-11-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

We have just been enjoying all the fall festivities lately! October seems to be full of fun things to do and spooky sights...such as: Mr. Miagi in my bathtub when I wake up in the morning.

WITCHES!Creepy face paintings (dragons and spiders and butterflies...yikes!) Speaking of crazy faces, Grant has some classic expressions in nearly all these photos.

Pumpkins, eyeball cookies, and crazy costumes. We started out with this one for Grantbut he refused to wear it after saying the helmet would suck all his hair out. He then became Captain Grant, the deadliest pirate of the seven seas:Where does he come from!? And of course, we also had the delightfully adorable Little Red Riding Hood.
We are now trying to recover from sugar overload but enjoyed our neighborhood dinner, trunk or treating at Grandma and Grandpas and scoring serious loot around our block.

It's A.....

2009-09-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

GIRL! Our ultrasound tech said she is 99% certain our little fetus is female. HOORAY! Grant and Katelee had requested a baby sister, so I am thrilled I could fulfill their wishes. Everybody needs a sister right?! We are really excited and I am happy to be half way through. Maybe this will be a little red head girl, who knows? YEA!! When I told Grant it is a little girl after all, he said, "Oh YES!." It was really cute. Katelee responded with, "Oh, that'll be fun." Silly girl.

Other news on the homefront: Grant has successfully completed his first year of T-ball. Is Grant a natural? Well...maybe not so much. Considering his first game he stood in the field as the balls came to him and would yell to me everytime, "I'll try for the next one, mom." or "Maybe I will run for the next ball." But, he had a great time and enjoyed being on TEAM SHARKS!

Grant enjoyed using the bat like a hammer and slicing down the T toward the ball. But, hey, he had fun (most of the time...see above photo!) . There's always next year...or a different sport :).

Back in the Swing of Things...

2009-09-02T12:04:00.000-07:00

Dave and I had a great time in New York a couple of weeks ago. Wicked was amazing! Loved every minute of it. Here we are on the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls. It was so fun and wet, I will hold the after photo of me looking like a drowned rat for another day...
Here we are in Palmyra with the Palmyra temple in the background, right on the property of the Joseph Smith family farm. We really enjoyed our time there as well. We went to the Sacred Grove and a lot of our church history sites. It was a hot and peaceful day!
Grandpa and Grandma McArthur kindly took care of the children for us while we were away. They were also able to see Grant at his last swimming lessons of the summer. He made great strides this year-going from not wanting to put his face in the water to jumping off the diving board! Grant is now on year two of preschool and started up T-ball, that will be a whole other post another day. He manages to get in a lot of trouble mostly everyday. A few days ago, the kid had been in time out and priveleges lost and all sorts of altercations occurred. Towards dinner time, he said to me, "Mom, you hurt my feelings so much today...I don't think I have any left!"

So now that I am over 16 weeks along, I am having a few days here and there without tossing my cookies! I am hoping we are turning the corner. My poor kids play house something like this: Grant: Katelee, you be the mommy, you have to do this BLEHHHH" (insert dry heaving and vomit noises here). Or, when Katelee was sick, after throwing up she says, "Mommy, I think I have a baby stuck in my tummy!" But, with a few good mornings instead of feeling sick all day, I have even started cleaning my house again:
Does bleach bubble? Who knew...maybe it was left over bubble bath in the jets. We find out what we are having in a few weeks. So far we have these suggestions for names from Grant: Dingis, Dingay, Josie or Numberspell. I guess they sound like unisex names, so maybe they would work no matter what we discover it is!

Sights of Summer

2009-07-29T21:09:00.001-07:00

I know the masses out there have been waiting for all the pics of our summer fun. I hate to disappoint....so, here are a few glimpses of our recent activities:

Fireworks on the Fourth of July...Katelee claimed to love them, but kept asking when they would be over. She enjoyed the light display much more at her cousin's house on a different night when they were far away.

Baseball games... Here are Dave and Grant at a Bee's game. Dave and I also went to Atlanta to celebrate his big 30th!!! We went to a Braves vs Red Sox game, where there were more sox fans dominating the stands. I forgot my camera, so just imagine us in our baseball fan apparel and sweating our guts out because Atlanta was on fire and humid!
Sleepovers with your best buddy (who sometimes doubles as your worst nightmare if you are Katelee. Poor girl is tortured daily)
Camping and Fishing with my familiy:
Grant caught 6 fish! Everyone who tried their hand with a pole reeled something in, with the exception of me. Ah well, Dave and I are not naturals with the fishing routine. As you can guess from this picture, when my sister Paige tried to retrieve the line Dave cast into the dead tree.
Not so sure the life vest fit Katelee very well, but she really enjoyed long-boarding! Her cousin Haley would take the little cousins on rides around the campground loop and I am pretty sure it was the highlight of the trip for them.

Wild Animals

2009-06-22T12:11:00.001-07:00

Last week at the zoo, some of the animals were wandering about. I found a mighty cute tiger and a ferocious alligator. I thought some of you might want to take a peek:
I have learned that even wild animals can display some sort of manners. The other day, Katelee finished her food, wanted some of Grant's and he graciously submitted to her screams. After he shared I told him how nice that was and he replied with, "Ah, well I just love her SO much...and it's happy sister's day!" Here's Katelee all tuckered out after a full day.

We were happy to have Grandma and Grandpa with us this week. In one of our conversations, Grant asked Grandpa how old he is and after Grandpa told him. Grant's jaw hit the floor, his eyebrows lifted and he exclaimed, " I can't believe my eyes!" It must be because of how wonderful granpa looks, Grant wasn't guessing a day over 6!

Oliver and His Company...

2009-05-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

So, the other day Grant told me he wished his name was Oliver. Do you know an Oliver? Grant doesn't.Here are some pics of little Oli feeding the ducks on Memorial Day and at his preschool graduation. He did a great job singing and performing in the little play, but my favorite part was the continuous winking towards me with the finger click and accompanying sound! We are so proud of his completion of such rigorous studies. Here he is with his friend Andrew whom we carpooled with, gotta love the 4 year old conversations in the back seat. He is still the garbage loving boy he was a year ago...but he can write his name now. The other night I asked him to clean up all the bits of toliet paper he had scattered around the house cuz it was time for bed ( this is the tp he puts in blocks and then his garabage truck picks them up). Oliver (aka Grant) refused, saying he needed the trash. I told him, "hey dont' worry about it, I will get you more toliet paper tomorrow." I bet no one else can say they have ever said that...Anyway, I repeated the request to throw the shredded tp away and he said, "Mo-om, garbage is of God." Welcome to our days of holy waste dispensing!

Flying the Friendly Skies

2009-05-20T13:26:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Grant missed out on a church primary activity because of a stomach bug. My sister helped me prepare for the activity, as it was a mock flight around the world on an airplane. She provided genuine flight attendant apparel, etc so our activity was a success. But, she also knew Grant would have loved it. So, because she is just so nice, she planned a little flight for Grant at our house. Here we are learning about oxygen safety measures:
Here we are en route to Africa, Disneyland and Salt Lake City (as designated by Captain Grant). We were also lucky to have family members on our same flight! The kids had a great time exploring the regions of our world...via the insulated basement.What a nice aunt to arrange it and thanks to Paige for joining our journey as well. Some people have been asking for photos of our house, hope you enjoy the cement floors!

We are also so proud of Dave, who with a three day notice and a one day training, signed up and completed his first half marathon! Way to go! Just imagine how great that pic would be if the man in front of the camera didn't stand up...just know this is Dave in action!

Breaking Bones and Breaking the Law

2009-04-29T10:37:00.001-07:00

Our poor little pretty fell down the stairs last week. It was right before bedtime, so I put her to bed afterwards and the morning after we could tell she needed to be seen. We zipped on up to the hospital and found that her little clavicle snapped in two during the trip down the stairs. She has been a great trooper, although the sling lasted only for about 46 seconds. Katelee is not a lover of the tylenol/motrin regime she has been prescribed and has detected it in her apple juice and chocolate milk and then refuses to drink. She told me she will take it on her own and the little sneak gets the cup up to her chin and then slowly tips it down her shirt or will take a small sip only to spit it out the side. Good thing the projected recovery time is only three weeks!
Later that week, Grant decided that a pack of gum calling his name at Kinkos did not need to be paid for and he swiped it right into his pocket. He later confessed to Dave...the gum was returned...no charges have been filed at this time! Grant has been teaching us after the infamous gum theft, about "sins," and other things that are "un-assesstable" (I believe unacceptable is the proper word he was going for here.) We receive these lessons as he teaches us when we play "church" or "primary." Last time he conducted a meeting, he taught me a soul saving lesson, all about AMERICAN EXPRESS! Like father, like son I suppose!

New Adventures

2009-04-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

Well, we have made it to our new place and are mostly put together! Our move was not the smoothest transition, but really, who's is? On top of not getting the keys when expected, Dave and I both came down with influenza. I now understand why people get the flu shot every year...that is some nasty stuff. We are excited for the new home and while we look forward to getting accustomed to the new area, we will miss our awesome neighbors/friends from townhome. Good thing we are only five minutes away! Our yard should get started next week so we are ready for visitors really soon!

We have lots of work to do and lots of items on our "wish list!" I tried to take a picture of it happening, to prove to those of you who know us well, but Dave has even been seen with a hammer and a drill working away. Yes, my brother was there talking him through it, but hey, he is learning!

Here are a couple Easter shots:
Coloring Easter eggs...a carrot shaped baseball bat...new Easter clothes...egg hunts...what more could a kid ask for?!

Side note on the new adventures theme: I promise when Katelee starts really potty training, I won't go into the details or take photos of her accomplishments, but I have to say I am a bit concerned how it is going to go! She likes to sit on the throne, the little princess that she is, then yells at me: "Need privacy Mommy! PRIVACY" Hmmm....not exactly how I pictured the training to go. Aren't the privacy demands supposed to begin in the teenage years?!

St Patty's Party

2009-03-18T14:33:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is extra special at our house because it is also Katelee's birthday! We celebrated with the little green fellow below, and other family members, by enjoying cake and ice cream and a dance party! Katelee got a little dance mat as a gift and it was a big hit! Katelee is such a cute little stinker! She loves to do everything herself (famous phrase: 'I dude it.') She loves chocolate syrup, with a touch of ice cream in the bowl, and especially loves to be without clothes on. She runs around the house yelling NAKED NAKED until we have to wrestle her down and force her to be clothed. Happy birthday little one!

Kate's special rainbow cake witha pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! What a lucky gal.
We have been busily preparing for our upcoming move. I try to pack a few boxes at a time, only to have them unpacked by my little helpers! We are looking forward to a new adventure, sad to leave our great friends and neighbors, of course. Grant, whose jobs around the house consist of making his bed, taking his dishes to the table, etc has decided that he is "sick and tired of doing everything around here." He informed me this morning that he would be moving out without me, to a place where there are no mommies. I don't think he'd last very long ;). Just a day ago, the little guy was scratching my back and said, "Mommy, when I scratch your back, all your worries go away." He is down for one of his bi-weekly naps now. I am hoping the back scratcher is the kid that wakes up and not the mommy-less wonder!

Wonderful World of Disney

2009-02-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

I have returned to report that the happiest place on earth (aka Disneyland) lives up to its claim as such, even in monsoon like weather! We arrived in California for our Disney adventure last week and we were able to enjoy both sunny weather and torrential rains. Did we enjoy the wet climate? Actually, yes...the lines were few and the waiting only minutes, if that. We got to go on nearly everything...and truthfully, it is a toss up as to who got the most giddy of group. It may have been me, you will have to ask Dave on that one. Grant, obviously thrilled for just the plane ride, announced loudly in the cabin: "Pilot? PILOT, I am ready for blast off!!"

As you can see here, I got a little excited. Dave offered to take Katelee back to the hotel one day for a nap and Grant and I hit the Buzz Lightyear ride about 10 times. The other day, Grant wanted a nap and while the three of them returned to the room, I literally ran from attraction to attraction with a smile on my face. The last night the three of them were so worn out, they fell asleep in the ice cream shop and I told them I had just a couple more rides to hit before I was ready to go. It was a great trip!

We celebrated Grant's birthday at Goofy's Kitchen and here he is displaying his chocolate mickey figurine. He was going to town on that. We loved the character breakfasts and Katelee warmed up to the characters by the end of the trip, but at first a quick high five and then a cry was about all she could bring herself to do. Most of the time, she just gave all of us and the delightful Disney playmates, dirty looks...it is her specialty!Grant, on the other hand, dished out hug after hug. He would stretch his arms out 100 feet away and slowly approach his furry friends: More than half of our time, we were wearing our rain gear. We have always joked that Katelee reminds us of ET (just the way she walks back and forth and sideways waddles a bit), this little poncho confirmed that as she tried to walk around in it: Grant refused to wear his rain jacket, so we just covered him in the stroller...yes, he is inside. We stayed nice and dry except for my feet, which after 14 hours of rain walking were completely white and pruney...next time rain boots, I know.

We can't wait to go back...well I can't. Who knew I would be a maniac at the park, next time I may need some intervention!

Winter Wonderland

2009-01-31T16:49:00.000-08:00

One more month of winter gone and it seems as though we haven't had enough good snow fun! Dave and I did go snowmobiling last Saturday for my birthday.

We had a blast and it was so beautiful. Dave demanded that I let him off when I drove (he claimed I was a crazy driver, that he had nothing to hold on to, and that he was going to fall off and severely injure himself.) Well, no person was injured; however, the vehicle that our friend borrowed to haul the snowmobiles up, did not return down the mountain unscathed! While we were loading them up on the trailer, the hitch popped off and shot through the rear window. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the Pathfinder had seen better days. It was a very cold and wet drive home!

We did get a small snowstorm this week and the kids and I did snow frolic a bit. Grant loves throwing the snow, Katelee does not love to recieve Grant's thrown snow; Grant loves making snow angels, Katelee just falls down in the powder. But, we all love the hot cocoa we enjoy later. Katelee, for days continues to cry, "MORE CHOCWATE" with big sighs and huge tears, like a true hormonal female! More snow adventures to come, we hope!

Good Times

2009-01-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Well, my camera was dysfunctional for awhile, the memory card was locked, or so it was telling me. So, now I am a bit behind posting some photos of the holidays. We had a nice holiday season...a great 2008, no big events or changes in our lives...lets see what 2009 brings us!

There's nothing like a child's fear...uh, I mean love of Santa!Christmas morning: 5 star quiche breakfast made by yours truly, new clothes, new toys, boxing and guitar hero.

Here is Dave, putting his heart and soul into boxing. I think he is trying to make up for the real flesh and blood boxing match that was cancelled...yes, I did have some influence on him with that decision. So, I think Paige didn't understand the fury behind the blows.

And, no better way to start the new year than a win at the Sugar Bowl! Wahoo!

Tis the season for colds and flus, and while I had my bout with it last week, while Dave was at the bowl game, Grant told me to lay down in bed and he came right by me, stroked my cheek and said, "It's okay mom, I will take care of you all of the days." How sweet-could I get that in writing?!

What (NOT) to Wear

2008-12-15T09:09:00.000-08:00

So as we are ready to leave for church, I tell the kids to go downstairs so we can get in the car and head out. I, myself, had dressed Katelee and knew she was looking cute and ready...her ensemble looked like this:
Grant, however, had insisted he get dressed himself. This was no surprise, he does it nearly everyday. I just lay his clothes out. So, I was a bit shocked when he came out with this little ditty, as it was not what I had prepared:
I am afraid the poor child has some fashion issues, probably inherited from his mother!

Turkey Time

2008-12-03T20:15:00.001-08:00

We had a great time with Dave's family over the Thanksgiving holiday. We are so blessed to have such amazing families whom we love and love to be with! Here is Katelee chillin with her great-grandpa. We spent lots and lots of time eating and laughing, watching Katelee chase around Aunt Anna and Uncle Curt's dog, Droopie...affectionately referred to as "Poopie" by Miss Kate. While the kids were completely worn out a few days into the trip, we kept them running.
We went to the World's largest Aquarium and the Coke Museum one day. Both were a lot of fun, although Grant was not impressed with the 4D film at the museum because he was squirted with water, it pretty much ruined the next few hours for him, such a travesty.

The next day we hit a civil war battelfield and Stone Mountain where we rode a train that made the entire trip a success for Grant. Here are the little monkeys enjoying their caroling train car excursion.

Grandpa McArthur came around with us and enjoyed the festivities...and the hot chocolate! Like Father like Son!

We don't kid around when it comes to the Thanksgiving Feast, we counted over 20 items to eat on Turkey Day! So, after a night of recovery, we took the kids to the mall, where we shopped til we dropped, or they did at least!
I wish I would have taken more pictures of the family and at Megan's baptism, but it was a fantastic trip. We returned home at least five pounds heavier, and ready for Christmas. Grant told Grandma McArthur he wanted Santa to bring him a dumpster. When she asked what else, he said,"Toliet paper to go with it." I will see if I can talk the jolly fellow into throwing that into the stocking for him...as if my house isn't already covered in plenty of shredded tissue bits for the garbage man to collect...

Caught Red Handed!

2008-11-11T12:16:00.001-08:00

My little mischief makers have hard evidence against them now! Katelee always sneaks under the computer desk, tugs on the cords and flips the buttons on and off on the power strip. Well...I caught her! Actually, Grant did, as he took the photo, thus incriminating him with the accusation of playing with my camera! Here is the act itself:

After hearing the charges, her plea was innocent...with a sideways head glance, indicating, "who me?!"

And the photographer of the incident, when confronted with camera play, responded with these remarks : "Mom, I have to tell you the truth." (That is a great way to start our conversation I would say.) He continues, " Sometimes I like you and sometimes I don't." Hmmm....that didn't go exactly as planned, but it did open up a great dialogue!

Costumes and Coladas

2008-11-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

We had surprising success with the costume wearing this year. Katelee, at first despised her grass skirt to her hula girl outfit, but lasted our entire trunk or treat. Then, we were lucky enough to get this little cheerleader outfit for Halloween night, so she could rah-rah the night away! Some of you may think, boy, Grant's costume looks familiar. Well, that may be because it is his second year appearing as Frankenstein- hey, if the shoe fits, uh I mean costume still fits, right?

And, I thought I would share a couple photos from the Dominican Republic. Dave and I got back just in time for Halloween and pumpkin carving, so it worked out perfectly! We had an amazing time, the sand was white, the water was crystal blue-it was breath taking. I was attacked by a small lizard, well it just fell on my shoulder, but it was a disturbing experience.

We really enjoyed horseback riding on the beach. My horse kept whipping his head back to rub against my calf-is that normal? It felt like he was crossing a line there, but we seemed to bond by the end of the ride!
Thanks to my mom and sister for staying with our little ones! We didn't have to worry a bit. We just enjoyed our pina coladas. I did come home with 57 mosquito bites -that I can see! It all happened in a 15 minute period one night, those little buggers. I am now on the lookout for malaria and west nile symptoms!

Halloween Hoopla

2008-10-21T08:46:00.000-07:00

Who knew the spooky season would have so many fun festivities?! We have been pumpkin patch picking, barnyard boo-ing, cookie creating (eyeball peanut buttercups, if anyone wants to try them, they are a devilish delight), and witch hunting...thought we would share some pics. The question is, will Katelee "be" anything for Halloween? I have tried various costumes on her and each one ellicits the same response-screams and tearing at the apparel. Hmmm...so we will either try to be tricky with the costume, or go for the tears and force it on her!

I am triumphantly heaving our perfect pumpkin into the air! Katelee saw this photo and in her man voice said, "heavy!"

Grant enjoyed the witches this year...Kate was a bit freaked out. We asked Grant if he had fun and he said, "Yea, I had fun. But, it smelled like poop." (there was a petting zoo, ride the pony place) After he said this, we got to listen to Katelee scream "THE POOH, THE POOH" the entire drive home. (Notice the spelling, she is so enthralled with Winnie the Pooh, he brings her great joy!)
The treats were probably their favorite parts of each excursion! So, bring on the candy next week!

Sunny Days

2008-09-30T14:23:00.001-07:00

We are loving the great weather we've been having lately...it's been perfect for our fall football games...GO UTES....farm fun with our friends...and dinner in the canyons. Here are some photos we thought we'd share:

Dave and Grant went to the Utah vs. Weber State game with our friends...Grant typically likes the Utes, but when he wants to make his daddy upset, or get Dave to chase him, he yells, "GO Cougars!!" Below is a shot of Grant's "crazy eyes" face...or he has been up too late watching the game and has gone delirious, take your pick.

We went to Wheeler Farm last week with our friends, here Jack and Grant are climbing up the fence to view the barnyard beauties. We went to the duck pond and these crazy geese suddenly started flapping and honking...well Jen and I, the mommies, squeal and run but our two little toddler boys stayed on the fence and just looked at us like we were lunatics.

Katelee, on the other hand, is no farm fan. She cried, squealed, and shrieked when the animals looked at her. It probably didn't help that I didn't move her stroller away from the honking geese when I squealed and ran! Shameful mommy moment, I know...

And, of course, we love our canyons! Grant says it is his favorite to go up the mountains, not so much for his sister. She isn't a fan of the fire, as was apparent by her non-stop crying. Grant frequently asks me, "Mom, is Katelee in a mood?!" That pretty much fits for her. But, we still enjoy our time and the beautiful scenery! Except for the hairy huge spider we saw! YIKES!

Looking Back

2008-09-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

Today I took the kids to the Healing Field display and was so touched as we walked around remembering September 11, 7 years ago. I know all of us can recall where we were and how we felt when we heard and saw the footage of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. I am so grateful for our country and for the freedoms that I took for granted. It is so important for me to take these opportunities to reflect so I am always appreciative. As we walked around the flags I watched other people, equally touched and choked up, and felt a unity towards all Americans, a respect for our current service men, and a reverence for those who have fallen as a sacrifice for our country. If you have a chance and are close by, you should definitely spend a few minutes walking through the Healing Field display. This flag has the names of all the people who passed away due to the terrorist act on Sept 11.

We have been chugging along the last couple of weeks, getting back into the swing of things. Grant started preschool and I am thinking he really likes it! He is a tough one to pull any info out of when he gets home, but he is always thrilled to go. That must be a good sign. This is him coming to the car after a hard days work of tracing the letter B. I just like the midstride action shot. Grant is still a garbage man in training. As we were praying the other night, I helped by saying a few phrases he could repeat. I said, "I am so grateful for my sister," He said, "Except when she is screaming ALL the time!" I said, "Bless the missionaries and help me to be good so I can be a missionary some day." Grant repeated verbatim, but as the prayer was finished he raced over to me, stuck his finger in my face and scolded me, "NO MOM. I am not a missionary. I am a garbage man." Now we are working on explaining how both of those ambitions can be realized!
Dave has been busy doing projects around the house. His dad was nice enough to come out and help us paint some rooms. One day while he was out here, we dropped Grandpa McArthur off at the temple. As we were pulling away, Grant said, "Aww...Grandpa is so cu-ute." So, it seems all of the family appreciated his visit!

Miss Katelee is a diva! She has begun dishing out her first dirty looks. I am now used to them, but she gave a long hard one to my friend the other day. She is a true girl...as I saw her walking around the house cuddling...no, not a baby doll...a loaf of bread. I could not get it out of her hands, she was kissing it, rocking it, adoring it. I know I am a carb lover...like mother like daughter I guess!!

Aloha!

2008-08-24T21:15:00.001-07:00

We recently returned from our excursion to the Paradise known as Hawaii! Dave's work had their annual President's Club on the Big Island and then we extended a couple of days and spent some time on the sandy shores of Maui. It was Dave's first time to Hawaii and I had only been to Oahu before so we enjoyed exploring together. We stayed at the Hilton Waikoloa on the big Island where you have to ride a boat or hitch a ride on the monorail just to get around the resort because it is so huge. We went to his work banquets...where people tracked him down from across a crowded ballroom by following a waiter carrying glasses of milk, knowing that with an open bar, there are few people they know of that would order milk-sure enough it was their milk drinking Utah friend, David McArthur!
We went to church in Waimea, saw the Kona temple, explored Kona...
We went snorkeling where I swatted fish that I am sure were ready to attack...I am not too keen on the aquatic life, they make me a bit nervous. We went to a working cattle ranch and rode ATV's on the rolling hills overlooking the ocean. From the top you could see the other surrounding islands, it was awesome.
We drove all around the Big Island with our friends and saw waterfalls, the Waipi'o Valley and hiked to different views of the volcano. Apparently when our friends went before you could go right up to the flowing lava...this year, the volcano has a new steam vent and it is really unstable. The fumes are deadly and the crust is ready to fall into the ocean, so you can only see the lava from about a mile distance. We prefer not to fall into the waves to our deaths, so we decided to view the red from a safe view point!

I believe I am pondering the meaning of life here!

In Maui, we rented a car and they upgraded us to a convertible, so we cruised the island with the top down, venturing to Lahaina and relaxing on the beautiful beaches of Wailea.

Ahh...the sunsets, the luau, the fresh flowers, the pineapple, the tropical drinks...it was heavenly! We certainly missed our little ones and send a big thank you to Grandpa and Grandma McArthur for coming and staying with them. They took them all over: the zoo, aquarium, the park, the dinosaur museum, and with very little trouble from the mischief makers! Grandma said the secret of keeping my kids happy and good was to take them out all day, everyday! Sounds good to me-who wants to do my housework!? We thought about them often, especially when we saw other babies or garbage trucks passing by! (See previous posts about Grant's future in the sanitary arts). But, we knew they were in good hands!

Sights of Summer...

2008-07-20T20:30:00.001-07:00

The heat is on and so are the parties! We haven't posted much, and while you may be thinking to yourself that we are boring (which may be a little bit true for a couple of us) I can assure you there is never a dull moment with the Grant-man and our little "Pretty" aka Katelee. Here are some shots of our seasonal favorites from this year:

-->Nature walks in the mountains, not to be referred to as hikes, see previous posts to understand Grant's aversion to those adventures!

Walking sticks a must, of course! (That is not a snake Grant is holding!)

-->Park play, especially when fireworks are involved!

Here Dave, Katelee, and our nephew Jordan are gearing up for the big show!

My dad can't contain his excitement...I think he believes he gets to ride in the tiger train next! Here is another favorite: parades!

-->Swimming, well this is pre-swimming:

-->play dates with friends, especially when it involves getting dirty!

--> and bike riding is a big thrill...Grant is just learning to pedal his bike, I need to get a photo of that. This is just Katelee in a time-out for running into the road! Sorry baby! With half of the summer left, there's lots of fun ahead!

*Side note: I am aware that Katelee has a runny nose in nearly every picture, the girl has some serious drainage issues we are trying to sort out. Sorry if the boogers disgust you, try to ignore them and just take in her cuteness!

Family Fun

2008-06-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

We recently ventured out to explore the beautiful Southern Utah Canyons- Cedar Breaks, Bryce Canyon, and Zion Canyon. It was an adventure with lots of driving and bonding time that allowed us to truly practice the virtues of patience and gratitude! Day one: Cedar Breaks. This picture is overlooking Cedar Breaks; Katelee is eating string cheese not rocks, although she is known to chomp on the latter. Dave and the kids enjoyed a bit of branch/sword play in the overlook parking lots. Grant is new to the whole road trip experience and didn't realize that you can't tell us you need to go potty when you are already going, but actually as a heads up. So, we maximized the learning opportunity and Dave taught him how convenient it is to be a boy when in need of relief. However, this method still needs some explanation because our dear little Grant decided to use his boyhood as we were at a visitor center. He walked out the doors, and dropped his drawers right up against the wall, I turned around to see an exposed 3 year old and a class full of rangers and students observing! Yes, there was a restroom inside, but it must be more convenient to just drop the britches when nature calls.

The next day we went to Bryce Canyon. Grant kept asking where it was and when we reached it he said, "This is it? I want to go inside." Dave and I marveled at the grandeur and decided to take a small hike with the kids. Grant's enthusiasm for the exercise went something like this, (over and over) "I don't like hikes. Nah, I don't like em." I think he secretly loved it! We took the Mossy Cave/Waterfall Hike, the kids loved the river and tossing pebbles in...or boulders if you are Dave. Finally we finished off with Zion and I believe Grant enjoyed riding the shuttle buses more than anything else we did. We are definitely looking forward to hitting up those national parks in the distant future when our kids want to walk around on the more strenuous explorations.

Alas, I almost forgot to mention that I received my first speeding ticket while on vacation! That officer of Cedar City was in a tricky spot and I can no longer say I have a clean driving record. Dave was laughing cuz I always give him a hard time about his driving, and of course, I get pulled over with him in the car! Grant was worried the entire rest of the trip and kept telling me I was going too fast, the police were going to get me.

All in all, we had a blast and loved spending the time together enjoying the awesome scenery! There were a few "I want to go home," moments from Grant, the most difficult time for our boy was when we pulled up to our house, as we returned home. Grant saw our garbage cans left out and let out a sob because the garbage man had come without him being here! Apparently trips aren't worth it if you miss garbage pick up day. The last couple of days all he has said was how he wants to go back to his hotel!! I think we can chalk the trip up as a success!

The Stance...

2008-06-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

Many of you are familiar with the Grant pose of one (or two) hands on his hips, as if surveying the surrounding scene. He demands respect and authority throughout the day, and this pose comes so naturally for those motives! It is really cute. I thought I would share for those of you who live far away and don't get to see it. He frequently puts one hand on his hip and when I ask him if he could help me, he replies, "Hmmm...fink fink fink, I guess I could help a tiny bit. Yeah, okay mom."

Katelee's signature position is yet to be determined, although I could argue she is most likely to be seen pulling at my legs and crying, "UP?"

Boston Buddies

2008-06-10T13:22:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a fantastic vacation to Boston! Thanks again to Dave for planning this and surprising me with it! My friend Alisha and I flew out to see our friend Laci who lives in Beantown. We have all been friends since we were five years old and they both always have me laughing. At risk of reporting our entire itinerary...I will do a brief overview of the events: Our first night we went candle pin bowling, small pins, small balls-easy you may think? Not so much, but I won, and I never win bowling here, so I was a fan. The next day we hit the road and began our historical adventures from Lexington to Concord. It is an incredible experience to be where our country began its road to independence and learn about the very first battle. We found our own private Minute Man (see below) who led us around the square. The Minute Man museum is really interactive, loved it and learned a ton. Pretty much I will forever have April 19, 1775 in my head...if you want to know more about that date, call me. We also drove to Walden Pond, which is incredibly tranquil and gorgeous. We hit up Louisa May Alcott's house and went past Emerson and Hawthorne's house as well. The weather was cool and drizzly and yes, maybe we grumbled a bit, but when the next two days turned out to be sticky sweaty, we wished for our rain back!
Later that night, we were off to Fenway to watch the Red Sox! I had been diligently trying to learn the names of the players before I went out there(well, okay not diligently, but I did watch Fever Pitch), but it was all in vain because none of the good players were on the roster! They lost, but we had a great time.

The next day we hit all of the city of Boston we possibly could. We started off at Boston Commons, on to the Boston Gardens and the Swan boats, walked the Freedom Trail to see so many great historical sites: the graveyard with Paul Revere and John Hancock, the South Meeting House, the Old North Church (apparently I never stopped asking about it all day and when I did see it, boy did I jump for joy!!), Feneuil Hall, Paul Revere Park etc. We also had to go to Mike's Pastry's and grab a bite there. We finished our day with a Sunset Sail and pretty much a photo shoot on the boat...here is a picture of Laci and I staring off into the horizon, wind blowing through our hair. The glamor shots and pirate pictures we took of ourselves were pretty entertaining as well. The next morning we were up for a walk around the Charles River and church in the good old boiler building.
Well, as the sun set on my Boston adventure...I realized that we had a fantabulous time and another stash of laughs and memories to draw from! Thanks again to Laci for letting us come to her house and showing us around...Christian, her husband for being our slave boy for the weekend and putting up with us rowdy girls... and McDuff the dog for not being too heart broken when I discovered I was allergic to his hair and had to break up with him.

Communication...

2008-05-30T12:43:00.000-07:00

So I titled this blog communication because that is what I have been reflecting on here at our house. Heaven knows Dave and I are always working on ours...and we are loving interacting with Katelee as she is learning words. She has the cutest "uh-oh" exclamation I have ever heard! Grant on the other hand is tuning his skill of communicating through prayer. It is so sweet and fun to have him say prayers for us. They usually are lists of what the happenings were for the day. Here is a good example of one: "....we went to Costco...Katelee screams all the time...mommy did not exercise...Katelee screams all the time." That was Grant's prayer yesterday. Now the day before he asks for blessings to get feeling better (he had been sick) and a new petition I had yet to be a witness for. It went something like this, "...bless Jesus not to be bored." How thoughtful. The funny thing is, when I was little my mom told me I used to include in my prayers, "I hope you are having fun up there without me." So, Grant must be like me, just wanting to make sure everyone is enjoying themselves! Although I am pretty sure everyone on the other side is staying busy!! Here are some photos of Dave and Grant when they went to see David Beckham....I mean, they went to watch the Real Salt Lake game!

What's Your Number?

2008-05-15T12:34:00.000-07:00

This may sound like a familiar query to anyone who has recently spoken with Grant. He loves to ask everyone for their number - especially girls! Occasionally, he carries around a little notebook where he "writes" the numbers down. He asked my friend what her number was, she told him, then she asked him why he wanted it. He simply replied, " So I can call you sometime." What a ladies man!

Who wouldn't want her number?!!! Nice hair!!!

While Grant has been tracking down girls' numbers....I have been chasing down 10 year old hoodlums.

Brief summary: As I was relaxing during my kids' nap time, I heard multiple thuds. After investigating, I noticed some girls above my house tossing grapefruit size rocks at our little abode! I opened my glass door and told them to stop throwing rocks, they were hitting my wall. One of these little gals quickly snapped, "You know, we are just going to ignore you." Oooh, that made me mad. Good thing my kids were asleep, I ran out my door... down my street, up the other street and found those little hooligans. I told them to take me to their mothers, to which they refused...so I threatened calling the police, knocking on every door until they took me to their parental figures. Did they cooperate? NO! The little trouble makers tried to make a run for it. I chased them to their house and had a little chat with the mother there. My apology from the one girl went something like this, "Sorry dude." Little rascals. But, no shattered windows, no broken bones, I am just glad I have been exercising and able to keep up with those little runners!!

On a more pleasant note, I planted my first garden ever! We put two tomato plants in the backyard and I was planning on doing green beans. My trusty gardening partner, Grant, was way ahead of me. As I was placing the tomatoes in the ground, Grant the green thumb had already strewn the green bean seeds all over the place. So, who knows where they may sprout! Good luck to us!

come what?... MAY!

2008-05-01T14:00:00.001-07:00

One thing I do not usually expect to do on May 1st, is scrape ice off my car, but that is what I was doing at seven this morning! Grant had been messing with my alarm clock, and it was magically set twenty minutes into the future, but hey, it helped me have time to scrape and be off to workout in the time I needed to go! April came and went in a flurry and we have just been plugging along. Lets just do a quick recap of a couple April happenings....Katelee fell down our complete set of stairs, scared me to death, but she got up and shook it off. Grant, who many of you may recall, is still obsessed with garbage, the garbage truck, garbage cans, and all things related to trash. He had my camera for a few minutes the other day and this is what he took a picture of:

Yes, the garbage cans outside our window!! I let him toss our newspaper away and the other day I was putting Katelee in her car seat, while Grant was busily throwing the paper in the recycle bin. When I called to him to get in our car...he was nowhere to be found...again I called his name. This time, I see the lid to the recycle bin slowly open and two little eyes peering out at me. Grant told me that he got in the bin so that the garbage man could take him. After a probably overly descriptive explanation of what would happen to him and the newspaper when they were thrown into the truck, he got out!

We got to visit with Grandpa and Grandma McArthur at the beginning of the month and Grant still says he "misses his Carfurs." It is always fun to see them! We took Katelee to get her pictures taken, see below:
Such a cutie! I catch myself looking at my kids and thinking how blessed I am with these two munchkins. Grant stares off all the time when we are at the dinner table and the other day I asked him what he was thinking about because it was one of those weird stares where someone is looking at you, but not responsive. He simply replied, "I just looking at you mom, cuz I love you." So, good thing the feeling is mutual.

A Wild Child...

2008-04-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

That is what Grant has been lately, no surprises to most of you who are acquainted with the boy. I have come to the conclusion that punishments, threatenings, etc are frustrating to not only the child, but the parent!! I will tell Grant if he doesn't do such and such he can't go outside (punishment for me because I want to play outside!!)...I tell Grant if he hurts his sister again, he will not get to watch tv for the day (punishment for me because he sits in a trance for the full curious george program, giving me 30 minutes of rest and delight!), or my latest punishment was when I sprayed Grant's mouth, after he was talking back to me, with "sassy spray" (a mixture of vinegar and water in a little spray bottle), and it bounced off those taste buds into my eye!! Don't worry, the sizzling sensation subsides within a minute or so! Next week may be better...we hope!

We just developed about 7 months worth of pictures at Costco...so I thought before I deleted these bath pictures off of my camera, I would post them. We love the Crayola bath fizzies that dissolve in your water. I have loved discovering the differences in my kids' personalities lately. Bath time, for instance-Grant, not a big fan of water, doesn't want it in his hair, face, etc. Katelee on the otherhand, could lay down in it all day long. Katelee cries all day long and is so dramatic, Grant was not so much this way at the same age. I wonder at times if it is personality differences or gender differences...Grant likes to explain to me that a lot has to do with being a boy. Recently he was jumping off my bed onto the pillows on the floor, definitely an activity that both boys and girls alike would enjoy. Well, he only had on his underwear, and he decided to pull it up on both sides with his hands, creating a self-inflicted wedgie. I asked him why he was doing that and he said, "Cuz mom, it's just what boys do." Lets hope boys like to behave and share and be obedient this week!!!

Easter

2008-03-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

So, I am a little slow, I guess, in getting our Easter pictures up. A few reasons for the delay would include: ear infections for both kids, ear, nose and throat leakage for both parents, and talk preparations and delivery for Easter Sunday at our church. Never fear, we didn't let sickness prevent us from enjoying the holiday! We colored our eggs on Saturday, had a small hunt in our house and Sunday after church, we went to Grandpa and Grandma Petrick's house for dinner and another egg hunt! Good times!

Here are the little monkeys before church in their Easter outfits.

Katelee participated by falling to the ground and observing the chaos....Grant was a great hunter and has shown a great strength in follow through as he has eaten nearly every morsel of candy he received!

Lucky Lady!

2008-03-18T14:36:00.000-07:00

Our little lady turned one yesterday! I thought there would be no better tribute to our little Irish gal than a limerick and a photo shoot! Enjoy!

Birthday Limerick

Our baby turned one on St. Patty's day,
We sang, ate some cake and said hooray.
She's made it a year;
With a brother she fears
She's certainly lucky, oh wouldn't you say?

No pinching this cute girl!
She loved her new baby and stroller, but didn't get to play with it the entire time, because Grant also decided he likes to run it around...ah the joys of sharing!
The lucky shamrock cake before (above) and after (below!)

Here Comes the Sun...

2008-03-08T12:50:00.001-08:00

Well, we had a couple of beautiful days last week, and you can bet we were outside to enjoy the sunshine. Here is Katelee taking in the rays!

Those days were short lived...it is spring and we have the fun roller coaster weather here in Utah. So, it was back to chilly in no time. We work very hard at keeping ourselves (mostly Mr Grant) busy, to avoid disaster that accompanies his boredom. This week our adventure was to tour Sweet's Candy Factory. It was a lot of fun! I told Grant we were going to the candy factory and he said, "No mom, you go to the candy factory. I go to Candyland!" (Side note: until last week Grant held the undefeated title for Candyland champion...however, I made it through the gumdrop forest, chocolate swamp and all other obstacles before he did for the first time! He still has a better record.) Anyway, here are some picts after the tour:
Notice the fetching caps we wore as to not contaminate the precious goods! Keeping the hairnet on Katelee was not a fun task, luckily she fell asleep in the stroller. We saw them make taffy, orange sticks and cinnamon bears...and we sampled of course, too!

The kids give the candy factory THUMBS UP! Tanner, Grant's friend may just be admiring Grant's side beret style cap, and Anna wanted to give thumbs up...just to herself! We anxiously await more sunny days, but are still having fun in the meantime!

Dinosaurs, Horns and Traitors...

2008-02-28T08:32:00.001-08:00

So, it has been a long time since I have posted anything. I just have not found anything to be too out of the ordinary, so at the risk of boring you all...I will just share a bit of our recent day to day events.

Katelee is walking all over, these videos don't do her justice, but I still think they are cute. If you will please take notice of her hairdo, all I can say is that I am trying. Pretty much her poor little style only resembles a horn. Any of you who are not challenged with hair maintenance, dos, and accessories, please share your talents! I obviously am struggling in this category.

Grant is keeping up his fight against evil with dinner -ware (Explanation: we told him that one day the devil is going to try and trick him. Well, he moved his little lips to the corner of his face and said, "well, I will trick him with a fork.") Thank you, son, for warding off sin. I never knew it was so simple.

I am guessing the sibling squabbles will never subside between his sister and him (those of you with older kids are probably smirking!). He is so rude to her sometimes. The other day I had enough and I told him he would not get to watch Curious George all day long. The next thing I know he is petting Katelee and saying in this sing-song voice, "Oh, Katewee Wyn Carfur (his pronunciation of her name), you are such a sweet child!"

Here is a photo from the Dinosaur Museum we went to last week...as you can tell the Shark was a bit overwhelming for Grant. Dave has been busy, busy, busy. However, he did find time to go to the BYU vs Utah basketball game. The Utes lost, but the most difficult part for him was going with a "Ute fan" who randomly decided he was switching sides. I am not sure how Dave will maintain the friendship with a traitor!! So, there you have it...nothing new, nothing exciting, just us!

False Alarm....

2008-02-15T15:27:00.000-08:00

The other day I hear this scream coming from upstairs. Grant is yelling, "FIRE! FIRE" and I as I bolt up the stairs I can make out his little feet running through the rooms as if trying to evacuate everyone from an upcoming disaster. I reach the distressed child and I ask him if there is a fire, to which he calmly responds, "yes mommy, fire, that's right." I ask him to show me the fire and he leads me to Katelee's room where he points to the humidiFIER and tells me that's where it is. Alas, it was a false alarm. But, at least I know Grant would seek us out, room by room , if necessary to save us from flames and smoke.

I also thought I would post some picts of my Valentine's flowers Dave sent me. They are gi-normous. It is hard to get a perspective of their magnitude, but I think Grant's expression here gives a pretty good indication!

You may notice Grant is shirtless in this photo. While I would pretty much consider Grant to be a master of the porcelain throne, he occasionally has a mishap with the standing method. Shirts seem to be in his line of fire somehow.
Just Katelee looking pretty...she's 11months already! She is practicing more and more steps solo, probably getting ready for a big dance party for her birthday next month!

The Big oh-3!!

2008-02-06T08:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Grant Man! Grant is officially three years old...wise beyond his years, he seems to think he can skip this age and proceed on to four years old. He thinks when he is four he gets to ride the school bus. Thus, he is trying to convince the one who very vividly remembers this time three years ago, that he has been around longer! Silly boy. He had a great birthday. When I told him happy birthday in the morning, he looked at me and said,"It's my birthday?!" the rest of the day he sang to himself and told everyone he saw what was going on.

Grant's cute friend and next door neighbor, Sophie, also turned three yesterday, so we had to get a picture of the birthday buddies!
We had a pizza party with Grandpa, Grandma and Shannon...proceeded on to the presents, followed by cake and ice cream.

Grant got a bike and I forsee many practice sessions ahead...his idea of peddling is straddling the bar and running his feet on the floor.

I think Grandpa secretly yearns for a Thomas the Train bike, with an airplane helmet...that cranial protection device seemed to bring him great joy throughout the night, I'm not sure he knew we were watching him. I, myself, am partial to the helmet look on the toddler...but who's to say a gramps can't pull it off!
Grant and his Curious George Cake... He is obsessed with George and everyday has to spend some bonding time with the monkey on PBS. Thanks to Grandma and Dave for assisting with the cake...due to a minor yoga injury, my wrist was not cooperating as needed. (Before you laugh at the thought of a yoga injury I need to remind you 1-it's me:I am clumsy and dysfunctional at times and 2-my doctor said he has seen this a lot with people that do yoga or gymnastics...so it's not just a typical Kara mishap! The falling down the stairs afterwards, however, is Kara protocol.

Katelee enjoyed the party, but loved the dishwasher more. I have unrealistic hopes that the love my kids have for appliances and daily chores carries with them throughout their years! Ha!

On to a fourth year of adventure,disaster, laughs and love with my little red-headed Grantzilla!

Super Sledders!

2008-01-20T18:15:00.000-08:00

Dave and Grant went sledding this weekend with some neighbors for a church activity. It was Grant's first time truly decked out in his winter get-up. I think he looks dashing!
I think he was pretty pleased with his speed on that last hill! Or maybe he was just pleased with how delicious the hot chocolate was after!
Daddy sporting his Goonies beanie that claims Goonies never say die! A shout out to Sloth...Hey you guys!

Porter, Grant, Sophie and Robby taking a breather after tackling some pretty rugged terrain.

Katelee has had a bit of a cough, so we kept her inside. Good thing she didn't know what she was missing.
When they came home after the activity, we were looking for the camera and Grant said, "Where's the camera?" We looked for a second and he said "Kelsey took it." Kelsey is our neighbor. She is Sophie's mom. I told Grant I didn't think she took it, and he repeated, "Kelsey took it," Clearly exasperated he says, "I don't believe it." Finally, the camera was located, and now Grant is no longer angry with our neighbor. So, the sledding expedition was a success!

Winter seclusion

2008-01-08T13:54:00.000-08:00

For many people, January is their least favorite month of the year...the holiday happiness seems to have passed...it is bitter cold out in many parts the country...and according to the paper, the most depressing day of the year is the third Monday in January. I try not to take offense to that since that day has fallen on my birthday a few times that I can remember! As a January born Aquarius, I have to disagree. The snow is beautiful, I love cuddling in a blanket and drinking hot chocolate. But, I do see the challenges that January brings. We are in our house nearly all day everyday. Yesterday we had a play-doh sculpt fest while Katelee slept, we had a cooking experiment, we had music time today, story time, and now I am ready for the "kids entertain themselves while I read a book time"...but that is not so realistic! Anyway, we are making the best of it!

We were in the kitchen being serenaded by Michael Buble when the "How Do You Mend a Broken Heart?" song came on. I was singing it to Grant and he said..." Oh, a broken heart, yea." He leaned in and kissed me and then said, "Chicken nuggets." So, there you go folks. Maybe the cure for the January doldrums, a broken heart, any sort of hardship is chicken nuggets! Or maybe I just discovered that Grant will be an emotional eater like his mommy!

Grant's new phrase that he likes to spout off is, "How dare you mommy!" It is funny, but don't let him know that. He is not supposed to say that anymore. Katelee is just keeping herself busy tearing my house apart. She feels that it is her duty everyday to pull every book off every bookshelf and empty out any drawers. Why do I let her do that? you may ask...because that means I have a few minutes she is not pulling on my leg for me to hold her, and she enjoys it...no harm done. Anyway, best of wishes to everyone for 08!

Christmas Day

2007-12-27T09:12:00.000-08:00

We thought we'd share some of our photo highlights from Christmas this year. We had a great time and were so happy to share it with family . We spent Christmas Eve at my parents house, eating, doing a gift exchange, a little program and singing the 12 pains of Christmas. Here are the kids all ready to start the party! It was a bit of a treacherous drive there...snow everywhere! But, it made for a beautiful white Christmas. Whenever we asked Grant what he wanted Santa to bring him, he always said "a fire truck." He was so happy to find that grandma and grandpa had one for him! It was really cute...but it was difficult the next morning because he wouldn't open any of his presents, he only wanted his fire truck. We had to hide it for a little bit to get his attention averted to the other gifts.
After our Christmas party, we came home and put a plate of cookies out for Santa. I thought this would be an appropriate tradition to start with Grant...he would be a good age to show his appreciation to Mr Claus for all of his effort. Well, maybe Grant was not ready because in the morning, he was very, very upset that the cookies were gone. Grant said, "HE ATE ALL MY COOKIES!" We tried to explain that he laid them there to share and say thank you, but that didn't fly. Hopefully next year, he will not be so upset!

The highlight for Grant was his official waste management garbage truck...yes, his occupational aspirations consist of trash disposal. This truck lifts up the dumpster, and even comes with a ball of garbage...the sound is strikingly similar to a life size garbage truck. All day Grant said he was a garbage man and he drove his little fire engine and garbage truck all over. Good job Santa!

Dave's brother Brian came over for our quiche and orange roll coffee cake. We were so happy to spend Christmas morning with him. We lounged around all day and then went to play games with my brother and sisters.

Katelee was just thrilled to get new binkies....and climb through the table chairs while we opened our stuff. She received some adorable clothes. Here she is sporting the hat that goes to her new coat from her Aunt Anna.

We had a great time and are so grateful for the gifts we receive everyday...like love and support from our friends and family! Hope you have all enjoyed your festivities as well!

Happy Holidays

2007-12-17T10:06:00.000-08:00

It's that holiday feeling floating around and we are high on Christmas spirit at our house. Everyday Grant wants to whisper in my ear, "Santa Claus comes tonight." I am pretty sure he got that from the song, but he still is anxiously awaiting the big man's arrival. We are enjoying the spirit of love and giving and extra sense of friendliness amidst strangers. We hope you are all savoring the feelings and events and thought we would share a few of our pictures from our freezing venture to see the lights at Temple Square. Dave's dad was in town so we froze his Florida blood and made him walk around with us. With the thought of hot chocolate motivating his stroll, he endured it...and loved it!
Our mismatched glove bandit and mini-eskimo:

Merry Christmas!

The Christmas tree battle...

2007-12-06T17:54:00.000-08:00

This has not been our best week. We have been battling a stomach bug for the past few days, but I am happy to report that while the sickness left some battle wounds, we have (almost) overcome it! So now, I can share the fun pictures that we took on Saturday.

We started our weekend festivities with a breakfast with Santa (notice that Grant is in his pajamas.) Grant told Santa that he wanted a fire truck, so we will see if he remembers to bring him that! Katelee was not too fond of Santa, can you blame her?!

After breakfast, I had a baptism to attend and it was agreed that we would decorate our Christmas tree after. Now, Dave and I have had live trees the past Christmases, and while I may be called a Scrooge, or even dare I say, the Grinch...I have been begging for an artificial tree, but to no avail! This year I actually convinced Dave that an artificial tree is a necessity for our family. Some of you may remember the Charlie Brown Christmas tree incident a few years ago, or the lack of a saw that we have, or the near nervous breakdown I have every year stringing up the lights...it has never been a jolly time for our family. I talked to a lady at the baptism who picked up her live tree to have wasps fly out at her and spiders everywhere. I could only picture a flying squirrel next. Needless to say, a serious deliberation took place at our house...and we have an artificial tree!!! Dave said not to plan on it every year, but lets see what happens 2008! While he had a difficult time realizing his days of live Christmas trees may have passed, he has admitted our tree is really pretty! It was pre-lit, so we had a great time decorating!
The kids loved it too as you can tell!

Katelee was doing a jedi impression when we got her up from her nap!

Do you get a box to play in with a live tree?!!! I think not! So, if any of you wish to comment on the artificial vs. live tree dilemma at your house, I am very interested to know what you think!

Dancing with the Stars...

2007-11-21T12:53:00.001-08:00

Some of you may know this, and some of you may mock- I returned today from my excursion to Dancing With the Stars!! Dave knows that I am a fan of said show, and has been putting my name in the ticket lottery. He got tickets for me and surprised me with a trip to California to view the taping of the semi-final results show. My sister, Shannon, the original Dancing With the Stars fan, accompanied me on the trip. Dave swapped skymiles, sold items on e-bay, took a day off work to stay with the kids, and handed me a folder with every mapquest printout I required! Way to go Dave! I think he is the greatest.

After Shannon and I stood in line to get into the studio, we were given seats on the front row! Michael Flatley, yes folks, the Lord of the Dance himself, then performed with his entourage. I saw the legs flailing about, feet flying, toes tapping-all of it, within an arm's reach. So, if you have the episode ti-voed or recorded, you can see a very blurry Kara right by the stage. After he danced, the VIPs started arriving for the live show and we were kicked out of the front and taken to the balcony corner. Of course, we were disappointed at first, but we soon realized we could see the backstage from there and we watched the celebrities getting ready. Avril Lavigne sang...the professionals did a dance...we saw David Spade, Donny Osmond, Mrs. Brady (aka Florence Henderson), Gloria Allred, and of course all the performing stars. It was fantastic! Thanks Dave for such a memorable trip! These are photos of Shannon and I after the taping at the Grove shopping center.

The kids are doing great...Katelee cut her first teeth. Grant is finally treating her with some kindness. I love it. He does get rough, showing his Grantzilla side at times, but those instances are fewer than before. Last week he hurt her and his apology went something like this..."I sorry Kate..I didn't mean to...I just a boy."

Side note, Grant's eye is fully healed. I know people have been concerned. He remembers that when he got hurt he had to go see his pediatrician, Dr. Bean. So, the other day he comes out of the closet with the johnny jump up pushing into his head saying, " Look mom, I doctor Bean." I think having a jumbo stethoscope is a brilliant idea.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all! We hope the holiday is full of family, friends and good times for everyone. We are grateful for all of you! Til next time!

Game Day

2007-11-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

Today Dave took Grant to the Utah vs. Wyoming football game. Dave has been looking forward to this all season..the first annual football extravaganza with Grant. I asked Grant what happened at the game and how he liked it; he said, "It was great. I say go go go Utes!" Then he talked about the popcorn, so it's a toss up as to what the true highlight of the day was, but fun was had by all!

As you can tell, Grant's eye is looking much better than last week!
The Utes are #1!!

Dave thought Katelee and I needed a picture taken today too. We went to a baby shower and then hit the mall while the boys were gone; but alas, we were unsuccessful in our shopping. Guess we will just have to try again next week!

This last pictures show how lovely and colorful Grant's eye got, it still just isn't the same as in person. We got a lot of questioning looks when all we could say is he ran into a chair!! You may notice Grant is wearing gloves in this photo. All week he has been putting these gloves on his hands and when I first asked him what he was doing his reply was, " I crazy man mom, I crazy man." Then he proceeded to run 100 mph around the house. He has been doing it day after day, sometimes quietly chanting "crazy man, crazy man." At least he has come to a realization of his true self, I guess!